Nasty Cigarette Butt Litter
There is only one thing to say about cigarette butt litter – It’s nasty! Not only is it ugly and smelly, it takes 10 years for a butt to decompose! Throughout the world trillions of cigarette butts become “litter” every year. They are found everywhere. Butts are strewn about on beaches, on sidewalks, along the side of the road, on nature trails and even in school yards! It is a fact that cigarette butts make up most of the litter in America. The filters on cigarettes are composed of cellulose acetate tow and take decades to disintegrate. They contain many toxic substances that are extremely harmful to the environment.
There are some organizations that are focused on the problem of cigarette litter. One of the websites, CigaretteLitter.Org, contains information about how you can assist in getting this litter “cleaned up”. They have information that you can pass on to any smokers you know because smokers are sometimes completely unaware of the damage they are causing. Just being informed about the hazards of cigarette litter might make a huge difference in someone’s life. And, smokers who are considerate will take this information seriously and follow suggested tips on how to dispose of their cigarettes properly.
Cigarette butts are not biodegradable. The tobacco itself and its paper wrapping is biodegradable but the butt is not and if not disposed of properly will remain intact for very long periods of time. Butts need to be properly disposed of so that they don’t add any more unhealthy and unsightly litter to our fragile environment. Cigarette litter is an eye sore and very expensive to clean up. Butts that are thrown on the ground often are carried away by water and end up in storm drainage systems. They eventually make their way down into rivers, streams and other bodies of water where they can cause significant damage to aquatic creatures and plant life.
Cigarette butt litter is nothing to fool around with. Education for smokers (and for non-smokers as well) is the best way to get the word out. The problem of butt litter can be reduced significantly if enough people care about living in a healthy and beautiful world.
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