‘Toxic ticking time bomb’: plastic pollution from cigarettes costs US$26 billion a year, study finds

A recent study has revealed that plastic pollution from cigarette butts and packaging incurs an estimated annual cost of US$26 billion globally. This figure accounts for waste management expenses and the detrimental impact on marine ecosystems. Over a decade, the cost is projected to escalate to US$186 billion, adjusted for inflation.

China, the country where half of the world's cigarettes are consumed, contributes approximately 20 per cent of this global cost. The study was undertaken by the Global Centre for Good Governance in Tobacco Control, located in Thailand. Deborah Sy, the author of the study, asserts that while nations are advancing in the development of plastics policies, particularly those banning single-use plastics, the financial burden of tobacco's plastic pollution is frequently disregarded.

Cigarette filters, laden with microplastic fibres and toxic chemicals, are a significant contributor to this pollution. They rank among the most frequently littered items globally and constitute the second largest form of plastic pollution. The World Health Organization has urged policymakers to classify cigarette filters as single-use plastics and contemplate their prohibition to safeguard public health and the environment.