Alcome: why the eco-organization for the fight against cigarette butts is problematic

The eco-organization Alcome will launch a pilot program in six cities in France, with the aim of "working towards a significant reduction in cigarette butts improperly disposed of in public spaces." However, this structure, which comes directly from the tobacco industry, is a breach of the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), and proposes questionable solutions to reduce cigarette butt pollution.

Alcome was approved by the Ministry of Ecological Transition in August 2021 to set up a recovery channel for the 23.3 billion cigarette butts thrown on public roads in France each year. The eco-organization is directly associated with the tobacco industry, which makes up all of its founding members: the Association of Rolling Tobacco Suppliers (AFTF), British American Tobacco (BAT), Seita Imperial Brands, Japan Tobacco International (JTI), Philip Morris International, as well as the Confédération des buralistes[1]. Alcome is chaired by Jérôme Duffieux, who is also the chairman of Traditab, an SME producing rolling tobacco and pipe tobacco, and of the AFTF. As a reminder, Jérôme Duffieux had indicated that he was taking legal action against the State in 2017 to protest the implementation of anti-smoking measures, which he accused of discriminating against small players compared to tobacco multinationals.[2].

Alcome in contradiction with the WHO Framework Convention

The involvement of the tobacco industry in a programme to combat cigarette butt pollution is contrary to France's international commitments. Indeed, in its implementing guidelines, the Framework Convention recommends that public authorities strictly limit interactions between public authorities and cigarette manufacturers to "what is necessary to effectively regulate the tobacco industry and tobacco products".[3]. Similarly, the Framework Convention calls on Parties to reject partnerships, as well as any non-binding agreement with the tobacco industry. The Alcome eco-organization falls outside of strictly necessary interactions, to the extent that an independent organization could have set up this sector, by forcing the tobacco industry to participate solely in financial terms. Finally, so-called corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities are prohibited in France for the tobacco industry.

A reversal of responsibility

Currently, six municipalities are participating in this pilot program, including the town of La Ferté-sous-Jouarre, Rouen, and Grenoble.[4], whose town hall is held by Éric Piolle, from Europe-Ecologie les Verts. While Alcome claims to want to achieve the goal of reducing the number of cigarette butts thrown on public roads by 40%, the solutions proposed to achieve this do not seem appropriate. Indeed, Alcome's speech places the responsibility for cigarette butt pollution solely on consumers, ignoring the fact that this waste is primarily produced by tobacco manufacturers. The tobacco industry's responsibility for cigarette butt pollution is all the more obvious since cigarette butts are essentially composed of filters, when the lack of health justification for these has been demonstrated.

A major environmental issue diverted into a communication lever

By removing the tobacco industry's responsibility for cigarette butt pollution, the issue of the polluter pays is refuted in principle. Thus, to resolve the problem of cigarette butts, associated with a question of civic-mindedness, Alcome proposes to set up an awareness-raising mission, in order to improve "sustainably the behavior of smokers". The deployment of this campaign will be mainly ensured by the network of tobacconists. In other words, the Alcome eco-organization, emanating from a non-binding agreement between manufacturers and public authorities, is similar to a communication tool promoting the responsibility of the tobacco industry, and its commitment to the fight against a problem of which it is the origin.

Street ashtrays and pocket ashtrays: the false good idea to fight against cigarette butts

Furthermore, on its website, Alcome states that it wants to combat cigarette butt pollution by providing street ashtrays and pocket ashtrays. While the idea may spontaneously seem relevant, it has been demonstrated for several years that the proliferation of ashtrays, by normalizing tobacco, tends to result in an increase in tobacco consumption, thus going against public health objectives. Furthermore, the proliferation of pocket ashtrays, generally made of plastic, are likely to become additional waste in turn. To combat cigarette butt pollution, other more effective avenues are being considered, such as removing the filter, setting up smoke-free areas, or reducing the number of smokers.

FT

[1] Alcome, (accessed 03/14/2022)

[2] BFM, The last “Made in France” tobacco factory wants to sue the State, 03/26/2017, (accessed 03/14/2022)

[3] CCLAT, Guidelines for the implementation of Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control on protecting public health policies on tobacco control from commercial and other interests of the tobacco industry, (accessed 03/14/2022)

[4] The Echoes, The cigarette butt recovery sector launches its “pilot municipalities” program, 03/08/2022, (accessed 03/14/2022)