Ministers are considering a proposal to make tobacco companies pay for litter created by smokers and cigarette butts as part of the extended producer responsibility scheme, currently proposed in the Environment Bill.
Essentially, the tobacco industry could be required to pay the full disposal costs of tobacco waste products. At the moment, cigarette butts are the most commonly littered item in England, costing local authorities around £40 million per year to clean up. However, under the proposed scheme the tobacco sector will be required to take financial responsibility for the litter its own products create.
It is estimated that of all the items littered in England, 68% is made up of smoking-related litter. Unfortunately, cigarette butts consist of plastics and, once used by the smoker, contain toxic chemicals which are then released into air, land and water, damaging the local environment. The filters themselves will remain in the environment for several years.
The Government has acknowledged, through the Litter Strategy for England, that the most effective way of tackling the waste is to reduce the prevalence of smoking. In fact, the Government aims to publish a new plan to try and make England smoke-free by 2030. Even though smoking levels are at their lowest recorded level, the litter problem is still a significant one.
Environment Minister Rebecca Pow said, "Cigarette butts are a blight on our communities, littering our streets or ending up washed down the drain and polluting our rivers and oceans.
We must all take action to protect our environment. We are committed to making sure that the tobacco industry plays its part. That is why we are exploring how cigarette companies can be held fully accountable for the unsightly scourge of litter created by their products."
