Cigarette butts are made of nonbiodegradable plastic, contain more than 400 toxic chemicals, and are the most-littered item in Maine and around the world. These factors make cigarette butts harmful to waterways and wildlife, costly to clean up, and an unsightly and unpleasant element of our city streets.
Many smokers don’t realize the damage they are doing, or they put butts directly down storm drains to avoid causing a fire. As a result, unfortunately, this has become a somewhat “socially acceptable” form of littering Until smoking becomes a thing of the past, we need to come up with solutions to cigarette butt litter. Learn more about how you can prevent cigarette litter to make your community cleaner and healthier.
Other Resources for Cigarette Litter Prevention
- Keep American Beautiful Guide to Cigarette Litter Prevention: Cigarette litter facts and resources, including a Study on the effectiveness of implementing a Cigarette Litter Prevention Program
- TerraCycle: Cigarette butt recyclers; among other difficult to recycle materials
- Video about London’s Cigarette Litter Prevention Program