Every minute in the world, some 8 million cigarette butts are thrown into the trash nature. Most of them end up on land, roads, forests, beaches and seas. They take more than ten years to decompose, so the damage they cause to the environment is huge, according to experts. With the approval of Spain’s new law on waste and contaminated soils, waged war against such waste. Therefore, from next January 6, the regulations apply to Spanish tobacco companies. bear the associated costs for the collection and recycling of cigarette butts.
The measure is contained in legislation approved by the Congress of Deputies last April, and according to the text, the tobacco industry until this January To prepare for your application. With the final entry into force of the new regulations, tobacco companies, cover both wastebaskets and ashtrays collecting cigarette butts from public roads and payment for collection and treatment It is planned to publish the details of the regulation on the same day, on January 6, together with the task breakdown of these polluting residues.
Another task that the tobacco industry must undertake from now on is citizen awareness. Under the new regulations, in fact, cigarette manufacturers themselves will have to do it. pedagogy on the importance of not throwing butts on the ground. “Likewise, the associated costs measures to develop alternatives and prevention to reduce waste generation and increase material recovery,” the law says.
How much does it cost to collect discarded cigarette butts?
There are no exact figures on how much the implementation of this new measure might involve. According to a report by the Rezero Foundation, in Catalonia municipalities invest between 12 and 21 euros per person To collect this waste. Today, it is estimated that there are some on the land as a whole. 2,720 tons of cigarette butts per year. 70% of them lie on the ground. In urban environments, there is an average of 0.1 cigarette butts per square meter, according to various waste controls. They constitute more than 25% of the waste collected on beaches. In Catalan forests, cigarette butts are estimated to have caused more than 300 fires in the last decade.
The measure of forcing tobacco companies to pay the costs of collecting cigarette butts is not the only measure proposed to address this problem. As reported by EL PERIÓDICO DE CATALUNYA from the Prensa Ibérica group, the Climate Action Department is investigating a rate of 20 cents per cigarette to promote the recycling of cigarette butts. The proposal, which is still in its infancy and pending discussion among various actors involved in parliamentary groups, is meant to increase the prices of cigarettes (equivalent to four euros per pack) to encourage users to smoke. collect the butts and send them to the recycling point. After this gesture is made, This fee will be fully refunded.