A single cigarette butt pollutes 500 liters of water in the oceans (yet we continue to throw them on the ground)

In the heart of the current environmental emergency, there is an enemy often underestimated, small and apparently harmless: the cigarette butt. While public attention focuses on bags, bottles and straws, this tiny residue of smoke is confirmed as The main contaminant of the oceansaccording to the alarming data released by Surfreer Foundation Europe.

One gesture, 500 liters of contaminated water

Every year, about 4,500 million butts are dispersed in the environment And almost half end up in the sea dragged by rain, wind or sewer. Just one butt for pollute 500 liters of waterreleasing lead, arsenic and ammonia In sufficient quantities to seriously damage fauna and marine flora. The filter, often mistaken for simple ovatta, is actually composed of cellulose acetatea type of plastic it takes over ten years to degrade.

A double pollution: plastic and chemical

Cigarette butts have a devastating impact on two fronts. On the one hand, they contribute to the contamination from microplastics: the particles released are not recoverable and penetrate easily in the food chain. On the other, it is chemical bombs with beyond 7,000 harmful substancesoften ignored even by the smokers themselves.

Despite this,. There is still the habit of throwing them on the ground or in the sewers, believing that they make an harmless gesture and without knowing the real consequences on the environment. To counteract this phenomenon, Surfrider has launched the initiative “Colillatón”involving 21 Spanish cities in a week of collection.

The goal? Contrast the abandonment of butts in the environment and raise public awareness. Only in 2024, were they collected Over 37,000 butts in Spain, thanks to the help of More than 600 volunteers. The Association proposes the elimination of plastic filters and legal responsibility for tobacco companies.

In addition to the butts, a new threat makes its way: cigarettes disposable electronicnot recyclable and loaded with metals and batteries. In a world that aims at sustainability, ignore these small waste means condemning our seas to a slow agony.