Disposing of Cigarette Butts: Here's How We Do It

Cigarette butts may seem harmless, but they’re not. Cigarette filters are made of plastic and don’t break down on their own. They pollute the soil and water and release microplastics. Yet many cigarette butts still end up on the streets and in nature.

The municipality of Moerdijk wants to change that with the campaign “Cigarette butt finished? Stomp it out. Throw it away.” In downtown Zevenbergen, metal stamping plates and eye-catching stickers have been placed on various trash cans. This is our way of reminding smokers that a stubbed-out cigarette butt belongs in the trash can.

Why this approach?

• Cigarette filters contain plastic and do not decompose; instead, they break down into microplastics that end up in the soil and water
• Cigarette butts contain many toxic substances that pollute water and are ingested by birds or other animals in the food chain
• It costs a lot to clean up cigarette butts, and it's virtually impossible to do so completely.