Day 363 of "No Butts on Beaches" - Valuable Information

Clean up the World - www.cleanuptheworld.org- was established in 1993. However it all started in Australia with Clean up Australia http://www.cleanup.org.au - founded by Australian Ian Kiernan in 1989. He, together with a few friends deciding to Do Something about cleaning up their beautiful country. They started with Sidney harbor and haven't stopped since.

An inspiring story. And each one of us can add to it. I know I will!

Here is some valuable information on how BUTTS effect the environment.
Share the information with as many people as possible and ask all smokers to stop throwing their Butts into nature. I am sure many will cooperate.

While most people are aware of the health risks involved in smoking, few seem to realize that cigarettes are also bad for the environment. Cigarette butts may seem small, but with an estimated 4.5 trillion butts (worldwide) littered every year, the toxic chemicals add up. 1

Butts contain hazardous chemicals such as cadmium, arsenic and lead that are partially filtered out during the smoking process. When butts are discarded, wind and rain carry them into the water supply.

Environmental impacts of discarded butts:
Not only do littered butts seriously reduce the aesthetic quality of any environment, but they can cause a great deal of harm.

• Cigarette smoke contains up to 4, 000 chemicals.
• Cigarette butts are the filters who absorb many of those chemicals.
  The toxic chemicals they contain are then leached into aquatic ecosystems, threatening the quality of the water and marine life.
• Cigarette butts take, on average, 1.5 years to break down.
• Cigarettes accounted for 17% of the total rubbish items collected on 2004 Clean Up Australia Day.
• Over 4,500 fires a year are caused by cigarettes and smokers’ materials.
• Cigarette butts can take up to 12 months to break down in freshwater and up to 5 years to break down in seawater.
• Birds and aquatic animals can mistake the butts as food, resulting in serious digestive problems that may lead to death.
• Butts have been found in the stomachs of young birds, sea turtles and other marine creatures.
  

What are butts made of?

Cigarette filters or butts are made from fibrous material designed to trap tar and other toxic chemicals before they reach the smoker’s lungs. The filters are made from cellulose acetate (a material similar to rayon) and are coated with paper

Each butt contains the remnants of tobacco, paper and a filter. The residue in the butts contains toxic, soluble chemicals.

Solutions

Businesses and other organizations looking for permanent cigarette butt litter solutions can contact BUTTsOUT8 for a range of products

You can also help to educate those around you such as friends, family and co-workers about the impacts of littering cigarette butts and encourage them not to litter.