Although the conclave of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for a Global Plastics Treaty has been in full swing for some time now, white smoke is still to come. And that while some 100,000 plastic cigarette filters end up in the environment every second. High time to take action.
Smoking with or without a filter?
Even more harmful than smoking tobacco is smoking tobacco through a plastic filter. In addition to the harmful substances released by burning tobacco and the sugars and chemicals added to it, more nitrosamines are also released -through the plastic filter. Substances that increase the risk of lung cancer even further than smoking tobacco alone.
Environmental damage as a side effect
As if that were not enough, many cigarette filters are also made of cellulose acetate; a material created by the chemical treatment of carbohydrates from wood pulp or cotton. Although it sounds natural, the chemical mixing makes it non-biodegradable and it remains lying around as litter for decades.
Once in nature, the filter - partly due to UV radiation - disintegrates into microplastics, harmful chemicals leak into the soil and water, and "the cigarette butt" is also mistaken by animals for a tasty snack.
A green alternative?
Then we just produce biodegradable filters, right? While that sounds promising, it does not eliminate the environmental problems. As long as smokers continue to simply throw their smokeless cigarette on the street, soil and water pollution will continue to occur. There is only one way (for smokers) to achieve true stress relief, for humans as well as the plants and animals around us.
A filterless cigarette.
Take action too!
Do you also want to do something against the endless stream of cigarette filters in nature? Or do you, as a smoker, want to show your disgust at the presence of plastic in your cigarette butt? Then sign the petition now or sign up for No Butts Day and take to the streets together to pick up filters.
Plastic Soup Foundation supports the call to reduce plastic in cigarette filters. Do you support our mission and want to do your part? Thendonate now, so we can continue our fight against the mass production of (disposable) plastic.
Rynaldo Koerhuis (1995) advises, sells and writes. For Plastic Soup Foundation, he writes a blog twice a month on a current topic.
