Cigarette butts are made of cellulose acetate (CA), a type of plastic. Although cellulose acetate is derived from cellulose, the material found in plant cell walls, cigarette filters are not biodegradable. The nicotine contained in tobacco residues also ends up in nature and the environment. Tobacco plants produce nicotine and use it specifically against their predators, the tobacco hornworm caterpillars. Inspired by nature, nicotine was still used as an insecticide to kill pests in fields until the 1970s.

Up to 4,000 different pollutants can be detected in cigarette butts. Fifty substances have been proven to be carcinogenic, i.e., cancer-causing. These include arsenic, lead, chromium, copper, cadmium, formaldehyde, benzene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and, of course, nicotine.

Carelessly flicking away cigarette butts is still widespread. Once discarded in nature, it takes around 15 years for a cigarette filter to decompose into smaller and smaller pieces of microplastic. It is also known that nicotine is water-soluble and a powerful neurotoxin.

In US studies, fish were placed in water in which cigarette butts had been soaked. One butt per liter was enough to kill half of the fish. If cigarette butts end up in surface waters, e.g., in a pond, water birds can easily ingest them while searching for food. The toxic substances contaminate the water and poison aquatic organisms such as bacteria, crabs, insects, mussels, and fish. For the water flea, which also lives in many lakes and ponds in Germany, one cigarette butt per eight liters of water is lethal.

Cigarette filters are found in the gastrointestinal tract of fish, birds, whales, and sea turtles. Nicotine is so toxic to higher animals because it prevents the transmission of stimuli in the autonomic nervous system. Between 40 and 60 milligrams of nicotine can be enough to kill a human being (one cigarette contains about 12 milligrams of nicotine).

Contact with rainwater causes toxins to leach out of cigarette butts. These toxins either end up directly in surface waters such as rivers and lakes or in the soil and thus in the groundwater. This can also affect the quality of drinking water. Depending on the source, the amount of water that a cigarette butt contaminates is estimated to be between 40 liters and one cubic meter.

Cigarette butts are also disposed of incorrectly via drains and flushed down the toilet into the sewage system. The butts must then be filtered out at the sewage treatment plant. The dissolved nicotine cannot be completely eliminated in sewage treatment plants with three purification stages.

New research shows that as long as filters continue to be made of cellulose acetate, recycling cellulose acetate from old filters cannot currently be used to manufacture new products, only other products. Various processes already exist in which the filter is used as a secondary raw material. Cigarette filters can be used as a component in bricks, for example, and attempts are being made to recover pure cellulose from filters for use in paper production or even in textiles.

This has led to calls for the introduction of a deposit system for cigarettes and their packaging. The aim is to establish effective measures to prevent environmental damage caused by cigarette butts and their packaging that are disposed of improperly in public spaces. You can find more information on recycling and deposits in the link below.

Cigarette butts do not belong in the environment. In public spaces, there are often trash cans with so-called ash tubes. These are there so that cigarette butts can be disposed of on the go. It is recommended to carry pocket ashtrays or small metal cans. These can be used to store cigarette butts on the go until they can be disposed of.

Not organic waste: Disposing of cigarette butts in compost or in the organic waste bin is taboo. Proper disposal is only possible via the residual waste.

Environmentally friendly cigarette filters: These are made from pure natural fibers such as flax, hemp, cotton, and wood. Natural starch is used as an adhesive. According to the manufacturer, the cigarette filters decompose after about a month and leave no plastic residue in the environment. However, the biodegradable cigarette filters are currently only available loose – for roll-your-own cigarettes. Here, too, careless disposal can cause toxins to continue to contaminate the environment.

Poisoning from tobacco or cigarette butts is particularly common in children. If your child has eaten a cigarette butt, contact the nearest poison control center immediately.

Be aware of how toxic cigarette butts are to our water, organisms, and humans.