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Article ? AI-assigned paper type based on the abstract. Classification may not be perfect — flag errors using the feedback button. Tier 2 ? Original research — experimental, observational, or case-control study. Direct primary evidence. Environmental Sources Human Health Effects Marine & Wildlife Policy & Risk Sign in to save

Time to kick the butt of the most common litter item in the world: Ban cigarette filters

The Science of The Total Environment 2022 38 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Dannielle S. Green, Bethanie Carney Almroth, Rebecca Altman, Melanie Bergmann, Sedat Gündoğdu, Anish Kumar Warrier, Bas Boots, Tony R. ‎Walker, Anja Krieger, Kristian Syberg

Summary

Researchers argue that cigarette filters, made of cellulose acetate single-use plastic, offer no public health benefit while being the most littered item globally and a significant source of microplastics, toxic chemical leaching, and ecological harm.

Cigarette filters offer no public health benefits, are single-use plastics (cellulose acetate) and are routinely littered. Filters account for a significant proportion of plastic litter worldwide, requiring considerable public funds to remove, and are a source of microplastics. Used cigarette filters can leech toxic chemicals and pose an ecological risk to both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Bottom-up measures, such as focusing on consumer behaviour, are ineffective and we need to impose top-down solutions (i.e., bans) if we are to reduce the prevalence of this number one litter item. Banning filters offers numerous ecological, socioeconomic, and public health benefits.

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