Covering their butts: responses to the cigarette litter problem

Abstract

Background Cigarette butt litter is a potential target of tobacco control. In addition to its toxicity and non-biodegradability, it can justify environmental regulation and policies that raise the price of tobacco and further denormalize its use. This paper examines how the tobacco industry has managed the cigarette butt litter issue and how the issue has been covered in the media. Methods We searched the Legacy Tobacco Documents Library (http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu) using a snowball strategy. We analyzed data from approximately 700 documents, dated 1959–2006, using an interpretive approach. We also searched two newspaper databases, Lexis/Nexis and Newsbank, and found 406 relevant articles, dated 1982–2009 which we analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. Results The tobacco industry monitored and developed strategies for dealing with the cigarette litter issue because it affected the social acceptability of smoking, created the potential for alliances between tobacco control and environmental advocates, and created a target for regulation. The industry developed anti-litter programs with Keep America Beautiful (KAB) and similar organizations. Media coverage focused on industry-acceptable solutions, such as volunteer clean-ups and installation of ashtrays; stories that mentioned KAB were also more frequently positive toward the tobacco industry. Among alternative approaches, clean outdoor air laws received the most media attention. Conclusions Cigarette litter, like secondhand smoke, is the result of smoker behavior and affects nonsmokers. The tobacco industry has tried and failed to mitigate the impact of cigarette litter. Tobacco control advocates should explore alliances with environmental groups and propose policy options that hold the industry accountable for cigarette waste.

Environmental impacts of tobacco product waste: International and Australian policy responses

“…It was also found that reports mentioning Keep America Beautiful's participation were more often positive in their reporting of the tobacco industry, despite partnership initiatives achieving no significant change in levels of discarded cigarette butts (Smith and McDaniel 2011). Similar alliances have been established in other countries.…”

“…Similar alliances have been established in other countries. The United Kingdom Tobacco Manufacturers Association, which represents BAT, Gallaher, and Imperial Tobacco, has established close links with Keep Britain Tidy (Rath et al 2012), while Keep America Beautiful has affiliates in the Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, South Africa, and Australia that have, or previously had, links with the tobacco industry (Smith and McDaniel 2011).…”

“…Analysis of the documents by Smith and McDaniel (2011) demonstrates that the strategies of leading cigarette manufacturers have been to prevent butt litter becoming part of discussion around social acceptability of smoking; to avoid regulation; and to ''ensure that cigarette manufacturers were not held practically or financially responsible for cigarette litter''. The industry has also recognised, however, that shifting responsibility wholly onto smokers runs the risk of alienating customers, while ignoring the problem would imply indifference, which could have negative public relations impacts.…”

“…Subsequent analysis of tobacco industry strategies revealed by the release of the industry documents has resulted in potential remedies that more explicitly place the onus for dealing with cigarette waste onto cigarette manufacturers. Smith and McDaniel (2011), for example, argue that the issue of discarded cigarette butts should be reframed as one of waste versus litter. Litter, they argue, makes the problem one of disposal; waste, conversely, redirects the focus of responsibility to the producer.…”

An Approach to Litter Generation and Littering Practices in a Mexico City Neighborhood

“…These types of waste are classified thus in accordance with federal and local laws due to their nonhazardous, nondegradable and recyclable nature. Cigarette butts were also recorded since they are considered a major litter problem in other countries [7,30].…”