Cigarette Litter

1

Excuse Me? There are always excuses for not
properly disposing of cigarette butts. Cigarette
butts are biodegradable The filters in
cigarettes are made of cellulose acetate, which
never fully decomposes. Everybody does it So,
that makes it right? They are harmless The
filter in the cigarette butt contains many of the
toxins filtered out of the smoke. This toxic
residue seeps into the ground and waterways. Its
someone elses job to clean
up Your trash is your responsibility! That is
what they get for making me smoke
outside Destroying public property cannot be
justified. Littering hurts all of us.
Does Litter Bug You? Call the contact information to report the license plates
of litterbugs!
Cigarette Litter
For more information, or to get involved with
litter programs, call County Solid Waste
at or check out our website at address
Butt out
Designed by Becky Haltermon, Assistant Boone
County Solid Waste Coordinator
2

• Cigarettes are the most littered item in America,
  with trillions tossed every year
• So whats the big deal?
• Cigarette filters are made from non-biodegradable
  materials. On average, it takes 7 to 10 years
  for one butt to break down, but the cellulose
  acetate in them never completely decomposes.
• Cigarette filters absorb hazardous compounds such
  as cadmium, arsenic, and lead. These are
  "filtered out" during the smoking process.
  Animals eat the filters and ingest these
  hazardous compounds.
• When littered on our streets, butts travel
  through storm drain systems and eventually end up
  in waterways.
• Cigarette butts are fire hazards. When tossed
  onto the ground, butts can re-ignite. Dozens of
  fires are caused by smoldering cigarettes some
  are fatal.
• Cigarette butt litter makes an impression on our
  kids. Every time they see someone throw out
  litter, they learn some interesting lessons we
  do not have to take responsibility for our
  actions, its okay to be irresponsible with our
  trash, and there is no reason to take pride in
  our own community.
• Also, tossing a butt from a vehicle traveling on
  city, county or state property carries the same
  fines as tossing any other litter. You can get a
  citation for littering cigarette butts!

• What You Can Do
• As a Smoker, remember to
• Use an ashtray, a personal pocket ashtray and
  receptacles outside public buildings, in parks,
  and on beaches and nature trails to reduce the
  number of butts on the ground.
• Do not throw butts out car windows or onto
  sidewalks. They are fire hazards as well as
  health hazards.
• Always use a portable ashtray. It is as easy to
  carry as a lighter or matches.
• Extinguish cigarettes before throwing them into a
  trash receptacle.
• Take responsibility for your cigarette butts
  dont make them litter! Encourage fellow smokers
  to do the same.