Clean Up Australia FY25 Litter Report Findings

The newly released Clean Up Australia FY25 Litter Report has confirmed cigarette butts have returned to being the most littered item across the country, reinforcing long standing calls for urgent action to address the world’s most common form of plastic pollution. Despite years of clean up efforts and public awareness campaigns, cigarette butts are appearing in greater numbers than any other item collected through Clean Up Australia activities.

Shannon Mead, Founder of No More Butts, Australia’s leading organisation dedicated to tackling cigarette butt litter, says the findings highlight a systemic failure to manage tobacco product waste at its source.

“Cigarette butts have topped the litter charts for decades and it’s sad to see that they make up 23.6% of all litter collected,” Mead said. “This is not a behaviour problem alone, it is a product and policy failure”, continued Mead.

Mead explained the scale of the issue was difficult to grasp. “8.9 billion cigarette butts littered annually equals roughly 17,000 butts every minute, or close to 280 every second, around the clock.” He added, “this is enough to fill around 3,500 household wheelie bins each year”.  

Despite being small in size, the sheer number and persistence of cigarette butts make them the single largest source of plastic litter in the environment.

Mead highlighted the little-known fact that cigarette butts are a form of plastic pollution. “Cigarette filters are made of plastic, designed to be used once and discarded. Research by Doctors for the Environment Australia has concluded that filters do not provide any benefit to human health, yet tobacco companies continue to profit while councils, community groups and volunteers are left to clean up the mess”.

In relation to the reported increase in consumption of illicit tobacco, Mead noted, “regardless of how cigarettes are purchased, when they are littered, the environment suffers”.

The Clean Up Australia FY25 report shows cigarette butts consistently outnumber other common litter items, including food packaging and beverage containers. Each butt can leach toxic chemicals into soil and waterways, wildlife and ecosystems.

No More Butts supports Clean Up Australia’s position that the Global Plastics Treaty is a strong opportunity to look at a ban internationally, but they are calling for stronger national action. Mead suggested that a phase out on the sales of filtered cigarettes, as well as ensuring clear accountability for the environmental impacts of cigarette waste in Australia would be appropriate.

“Other industries are now required to take responsibility for the waste they create. Tobacco should be no exception,” Mead said. “Until cigarette butts are regulated as plastic pollution, Australia will continue to see the same result year after year, another report, another missed opportunity for meaningful change”.

Mead encouraged community members to take action by adding their voice to the petition for a filter ban via the No More Butts website.

No More Butts works with governments, researchers and community organisations to reduce cigarette butt pollution through evidence-based policy, programs and advocacy.

For more information about how you may help visit the NO MORE BUTTS WEBSITE.

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