Worse Than Plastic Cigarette Butts Are The Biggest Pollutant In The Ocean

Cigarette butts pollute more than light bulbs and plastic bags according to data from an NBC News report.

We seldom hear about the recycling of cigarette butts, and this is having serious consequences worldwide.

While some governments and companies are taking a greener option with respect to plastic bags or other products of this material, in relation to cigarette butts there is very little that is being done.

According to the report, butts are in the first place among the pollutants and waste produced by humans, and each year they end up in different seas and oceans. Most of the 5.6 trillion cigarettes produced per year have a filter made of cellulose acetate that takes more than 10 years to decompose.

According to the data from the Cigarette Butt Pollution Project, about two thirds of these filters, which are not biodegradable, are dumped on beaches or streets.

The environmental organization Ocean Conservacy, which finances the cleaning of beaches, reveals that in 32 years, 60 million butts were found and could destroy the marine ecosystem, contaminating rivers and waterways.

You can not know how many cigars in total are found in nature, but many remains are found in the stomachs of birds, fish and turtles, which is one of the main causes of death in these animals. Despite this, smokers still do not adopt a more ecological position.

These images, which illustrate the terrible consequences of cigarette contamination, were taken from the awareness campaign promoted by the University of Texas in 2009 to make us reflect on the pollution caused by this product.