Major European cities are calling on the EU to ban the sale of filtered cigarettes, arguing that plastic cigarette butts provide no health benefits and are a major source of urban litter. Politico reports, writes UNN.
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Major European cities are calling on the European Union to ban the sale of filtered cigarettes because they provide no health benefits and are one of the largest sources of urban litter. Brussels, Munich, Dublin, Genoa and a number of other European cities have joined the No (Plastic) Filter campaign.
Participants in the campaign, initiated by the Dutch government, believe that the current EU rules requiring tobacco companies to pay for cigarette-butt cleanup have failed to reduce pollution. They are therefore calling for a complete ban on cigarette filters.
Cigarette butts account for a staggering 30% of all litter in Brussels. This litter not only spoils the appearance of our city but also places an enormous burden on municipal services
The issue of a ban could be considered during the review of two EU legislative acts — the Tobacco Products Directive and the Single-Use Plastics Directive. The former could provide for a ban on the filters themselves, while the latter could address the plastic in their composition.
Most cigarette filters are made from cellulose acetate — a type of plant-based plastic that decomposes slowly. Biodegradable alternatives exist, but they are still rarely used.
The World Health Organization also supports banning or phasing out filters, emphasizing that they provide no health benefits.
A cigarette filter is the item that most often becomes litter, contains plastic, causes toxic environmental pollution and creates enormous costs for municipalities and society. In addition, the filter does not make smoking less harmful
He also called filters a "misleading product" and added: "It is one of the biggest scams in modern history. The cigarette filter should never have appeared."
At the same time, tobacco companies oppose the restrictions. British American Tobacco claims that filters help reduce exposure to certain toxic substances.
There are no safe cigarettes — with or without a filter. However, studies show that filters help reduce exposure to certain toxic substances and make it possible to comply with EU legislative requirements on cigarette emissions
The company also noted that there is currently no viable alternative to filters that could be used on a large scale.
Brussels and The Hague believe that banning only the plastic component of filters is insufficient. Brussels city council public cleanliness adviser Annas Ben Abdelmoumen warned that allowing the use of alternative materials could create a loophole for manufacturers.
Manufacturers will be able to introduce new materials that will formally fall outside the technical definition of plastic but will remain practically just as harmful, persistent in the environment and damaging to urban cleanliness
Meanwhile, The Hague estimates the annual cost of cleaning up cigarette butts at approximately €2 million. The city’s deputy mayor, Isabel Broeders, also supports a complete ban on all cigarette filters, regardless of the material from which they are made.
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