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

Abstract

The health risks of tobacco consumption are well established, but there is less awareness of the global environmental impacts of smoking. The by-products of the 6.3 trillion cigarettes smoked annually are filters (butts) that contain benzene, nicotine, cadmium, and dozens of other chemicals. It is estimated that between one-and twothirds of all filters are discarded on roads, pavements, and green spaces. Butt litter as an environmental and public health hazard is a relatively new field of study, but recent research and findings have clear global implications. While this article focuses specifically on the situation in Australia, where cigarette butts are consistently the most littered item identified in national clean-up campaigns, the material reviewed has clear international environmental implications. The article first reviews existing literature on filter composition and toxicology, clean-up costs, regulatory response, and key policy actors. It then describes the scale of the butt litter problem in Australia using existing data, and analyses potential remedies at both the domestic and international levels.

Waterpipe device cleaning practices and disposal of waste associated with waterpipe tobacco smoking in homes in the USA

“…Indoors, the kitchen may be most affected by disposal of WPT waste. In the USA, trash bins are typically placed in the kitchen area, where smokers reported discarding their WPT White/grey/black 11 (19) Somewhat clear (1). It is smoky clear (1).…”

“…Global efforts to mitigate the adverse impact of postconsumption tobacco waste on the environment are on the rise, [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] prompted by concern over the 1.69 billion lbs (720 million kg) of cigarette butts that end up as toxic waste annually. 3 10 While regulatory efforts to reduce the environmental effects of tobacco product waste have been focused on cigarettes, 1-10 similar attention is warranted for other tobacco products.…”

“…Reported description of colour, odour and materials in water in WP bowl after one use (smoked WP water) Light brown(2). Tan(1). Colour of tobacco(1).…”

“…Pretty clear(1). Pretty clear depending on how long I was smoking(1). It is usually the colour of the syrup from the tobacco(1).…”

Recycling of Cigarette Butts in Fired Clay Bricks: A New Laboratory Investigation

“…The Tobacco Atlas [30] reported that 5.7 trillion cigarettes were consumed worldwide in the year 2016 and that about 97% of the cigarette filters were made up of cellulose acetate filters, which is a modified natural polymer [31]. In Australia, every year, more than 20 billion cigarettes are consumed, and 7 billion are littered into the environment (Figure 1) [32]. Clean Up Australia [33] reported that CBs were the most common source of rubbish collected under the miscellaneous category, which represented 91.5%.…”