Minorca, which has a population of just almost 100,000 inhabitants, 118 million cigarette butts were discarded last year, representing almost 38 tonnes of waste, according to a study by the organisations Rezero and Per la Mar Viva, which highlights the serious environmental problem caused by the waste.
The study, which has been supported by the Council of Minorca, concludes that 70% of cigarette butts are thrown on the ground and end up in urban and natural environments, generating significant environmental and visual impacts.
In the samplings carried out, it has been detected that beaches are one of the environments with the highest presence of cigarette butts, which is particularly worrying given the negative effect they have on marine ecosystems.
The authors of the study have pointed out that the filters of tobacco butts are composed of cellulose acetate, a non-biodegradable plastic that ends up decomposing into microplastic particles that contaminate ecosystems, especially aquatic ecosystems.
They also contain components that are toxic to the environment and the health of living beings, such as nicotine, tar, ammonium, pyridine and lead.
Carlos Salord, president of Per la Mar Viva, has stressed the importance of carrying out studies to find out the reality of this problem and to alert the administrations to take measures.
Roser Badia, Rezero’s coordinator in the Balearics, denounces the general lack of public awareness of the negative impact of cigarette butts on the environment.
“Despite being 100% plastic, cigarette butts are not perceived as waste by the smoking population and their abandonment in the environment is more socially accepted than other waste,” she said.
In Minorca, the contract for cleaning the island’s beaches costs 900,000 euros per year and, taking into account that cigarette butts account for 65% of the waste on the beaches, the authors of the study calculate that the cost of collecting them is up to 585,000 euros per year.
Therefore, they argue that the persistence of cigarette butts in urban and natural environments makes it necessary to implement new preventive measures, such as limiting smoking on beaches.
They also point out that there are currently only five beaches in Minorca that are members of the “Smoke-free beaches” programme, out of a total of 136 beaches, many of which are unspoilt, so there is great potential for improving the protection of marine ecosystems.
Finally, they suggest that tobacco companies should bear the cost of waste management to ease the burden on municipalities.
“We hope that the royal decree on tobacco waste management, which is currently in the process of being approved after the consultation period, will incorporate these measures,” concluded Badia.