Anti-Litter Facts & Links

Americans smoked 470 billion cigarettes in 1998, according to government estimates. In one year, that leaves an estimated 176 million pounds of cigarette butts.

The Arizona Republic

[Cigarette butts] also present a threat to wildlife. Cigarette filters have been found in the stomachs of fish, birds, whales and other marine creatures who mistake them for food ... Composed of cellulose acetate, a form of plastic, cigarette butts can persist in the environment as long as other forms of plastic.

Clean Virginia Waterways

Each year more than 1 billion pieces of litter will accumulate on Texas highways. Of those, 13 percent are cigarette butts. That means 130 million butts will be tossed out in Texas alone this year

Texas Department of Transportation

The most COMMONLY littered item is the cigarette butt? Many smokers believe that cigarette butts are not litter - and decompose quickly. THIS IS WRONG. The plastic filters can take up to 15 years to decompose!!

Allentown Recycles

Cigarette manufacturer Philip Morris USA has, for the first time, acknowledged that “cigarette butts are a common form of litter” and that “improper disposal of cigarette butts in outdoor areas is unsightly and can pose a danger to marine creatures and wildlife.” They point to statistics collected from the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup, which has consistently ranked cigarettes as the most littered item found.

Natural Life

Under California Health & Safety Code 13002 it is illegal to discard a cigarette butt on public or private property. Yet the 2000 California Coastal Cleanup data collection results revealed that more than 230,000 cigarette butts were collected in just one day.

Friends of the Sea Otter

Over 4.5 trillion cigarettes are littered worldwide each year.

Friends of the Sea Otter

Many smokers do not believe that littering their cigarette butts has an environmental impact or is inappropriate behavior.

No More Trash Online

Many smokers blame their littering behavior on a lack of well-placed bins for cigarette butts.

No More Trash Online

Over 80% of smokers said they would bin their butts if suitable bins were available (three key areas for more bins were alongside every ordinary litterbin, at entrances to large city buildings and at bus stops).

No More Trash Online

Over half of smokers said they would change their behavior if they were more aware of the issues and their potential environmental impact.

No More Trash Online

Littered cigarette filters contain toxic chemicals that leak into the air and water.

No More Trash Online

As one of the smallest pieces of litter, cigarette litter represents over 20% of the litter collected in many community cleanup initiatives.

Keep American Beautiful

Cigarette butts are not considered when addressing litter cleanups programs. However, they are the most littered item in the world and are toxic to the environment.

State of West Virginia DOT

The filters in cigarette butts are made from cellulose acetate, a form of NON-biodegradable plastic. It takes about 15 years for a cigarette butt to break down in the environment. Pollutants contained in the butts can affect water quality.

SmallTrash.com

Cigarette Butts threaten wildlife and aquatic animals that can mistake them for food. If filters block their digestive tract, animals may become ill or even starve. Animals will also ingest hazardous compounds such as cadmium, arsenic and lead that have been absorbed by the filters.

SmallTrash.com

Each year the Ocean Conservancy sponsors the International Coastal Cleanup, where volunteers collect and count refuse on beaches and waterways. In 2001, cigarette butts were the most commonly littered item on beaches. Besides being unsightly, cigarette butts can pose a danger to wildlife.

Phillip Morris USA

It is estimated that several trillion cigarette butts are littered worldwide every year. That's billions of cigarettes flicked, one at a time, on our sidewalks, beaches, nature trails, gardens, and other public places every single day. In fact, cigarettes are the most littered item in America and the world.

CigaretteLitter.org

Operating from March 1997 to December of 1999 the Highway Litter Hotline recorded the license plate numbers of 25,000 Litterbugs and notified them that someone driving their vehicles had been observed littering.

LitterBug.org

At the close of its third year of operation, the Litter Hotline had close to 400 steady callers who regularly reported Litterbugs and other litter problems.

LitterBug.org

Litter causes thousands of auto accidents each year, and as many bicycle accidents, with damage to tires and tubes costing millions of dollars.

LitterBug.org

Each year thousands of animals strangle or choke from litter.

LitterBug.org

Every 12 minutes a fire starts in litter.

LitterBug.org

Many state agencies, including the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the Fish and Game Commission, the Turnpike Commission, the Boat Commission, spend millions of dollars on education and clean up in an effort to combat the litter problem.

LitterBug.org

Litter reduces property values because its sends a message that the community no longer takes pride in its appearance.

LitterBug.org

Litter is a serious problem in Pennsylvania because it impacts public health, business, tourism and property values and uses taxpayer dollars and energy that could be put to better use.

LitterBug.org

Litter is a source of more than 2500 fires annually in urban areas.

LitterBug.org

Annually, Washington State DOT spends $1,250,000 to pick up and dispose of litter statewide.

Washington State DOT

The person who does so is guilty of a summary offense and, upon conviction, may be sentenced to either or both:

1. To pay a fine of not more than $300.
2. To pick up and remove litter from public or private property...for not less than 8 hours nor more than 16 hours for the first conviction.

CleanPAForests.org

Last year (2003), nearly 200,000 participants collected 4.1 million pounds of trash [in Pennslyvania]

Dick Ebeling, PennDOT's beautification program manager