Plastic pollution from cigarette butts and packaging globally costs US$26B annually, according to study

06 Dec 2023 --- In a data analysis published in the journal Tobacco Control, researchers reveal that the environmental toll of plastic pollution from cigarette butts and packaging amounts to an estimated US$26 billion every year, totaling US$186 billion over a decade when adjusted for inflation.

The study sheds light on the often-overlooked plastic pollution generated by tobacco products, particularly cigarette filters, commonly found items of rubbish on the planet. The researchers say that despite strides in global efforts to curb single-use plastics, the environmental impact of tobacco-related plastics remains largely unaddressed.

Researchers drew on various public data sources to estimate the global economic toll of tobacco products’ plastic waste, including the World Bank, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Tobacco Atlas and the World Wildlife Fund. The analysis included factors such as cigarette sales, cleanup costs and the weight of plastic waste on land and at sea.

“The global data available was the volume of cigarettes consumed and an estimate of waste management cost and ecosystem losses per ton of plastic waste,” study author Deborah Sy, head of global public policy and strategy at the Global Center for Good Governance in Tobacco Control, tells Packaging Insights.

“In simplified terms, the formula is to multiply the estimated total weight of plastic cigarette filters and packaging that leak into the ocean, based on cigarette consumption with the World Bank waste management cost estimates and estimates of ecosystem losses per ton of plastic waste provided by the World Wildlife Fund.”The study reveals that cigarette plastic pollution is likely most severe in low- and middle-income countries.

Costs take into account losses in fishing, tourism, recreation and other areas due to plastics in the ocean.

Cigarette plastic pollution
The average weight of a plastic filter is 3.4 grams. When accounting for the plastic packaging often discarded with cigarette butts, the annual economic cost of cigarette plastic waste is estimated at around US$26 billion.

The cost is divided into US$20.7 billion for marine ecosystem damage and US$5 billion for waste management, accumulating to US$186 billion over a decade.

Despite the relatively modest economic impact compared to the broader tobacco industry, researchers emphasize that the environmental costs should not be downplayed, as they are accumulating and preventable. 

The study also reveals that cigarette plastic pollution is likely most severe in low- and middle-income countries, where the “leakage” rate of plastics into the environment is higher.

Countries with the highest number of cigarette butts, such as China, Indonesia, Japan, Bangladesh and the Philippines, are expected to bear the highest costs of tobacco product plastic pollution. 

Toxicity from cigarette butts
The study acknowledges that these figures are likely conservative, as they don’t account for the toxic metals and chemicals present in cigarette butts over time, making them more harmful than general plastic waste.

Sy flags that there is no data on the cost of toxicity of cigarette butts. “The cigarette butts’ chemical and heavy metal content kills many fishes and microorganisms over a short time, but we have not estimated for that because there is no sufficient data available to evaluate the cost.” 

“Hence, this is considered a low estimate and, in terms of the polluters pay principle, is the lowest amount that the tobacco producer must pay while we figure out the additional toxicity costs.”The study flags that the figures don’t account for the toxic metals and chemicals present in cigarette butts.

The research calls for increased awareness and mitigation measures for tobacco plastic waste pollution. 

Policy mitigation 
Policies considering a shift in responsibility for cleanup costs to the tobacco industry are under consideration in various countries. Since August, Canada requires health warnings to be printed on individual cigarettes aiming to reduce smoking, while Spain has been cracking down on discarded cigarette butts by placing a cleanup cost on tobacco companies.

“Countries should not lose sight of the fact that a long-term solution is to address the source — to eliminate the problematic and avoidable single-use plastic by immediately banning the same as recommended by the WHO at recent UN plastics treaty negotiations,” underscores Sy.

“Having a specific estimate will help define the potential for a minimum environmental levy on tobacco, which also aligns with tax and price measures to deter smoking (Article 6 of WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control) and address tobacco liability (Article 19). The levy proceeds can be used to clean up legacy waste.”

By Radhika Sikaria