In the UK, a cigarette butt collection organization is accused of being funded by the industry

A recent investigation revealed that the British litter-fighting charity Keep Britain Tidy (KBT) received several million pounds sterling from the tobacco industry through an intermediary, Clean Streets CIC. This situation is raising concerns, particularly for local authorities that partner with KBT campaigns. Indeed, in accordance with Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which the country has ratified, public institutions must prohibit any funding or benefit from the tobacco industry in order to preserve the independence of public health policies.[1].

An opaque and rapidly growing financing method

According to KBT's accounts, nearly £9 million (€10 million) was received in 2022 from the tobacco industry, contributing to a tripling of the organization's revenue in 2022-2023. This funding was channeled through Clean Streets CIC, a structure created in 2021 and financed by the Tobacco Manufacturers Association (TMA). Its members include the tobacco companies British American Tobacco, Imperial Brands, and JTI. Two members of KBT's board of directors also serve as directors of Clean Streets CIC. Since 2022, budgets allocated to cigarette butt campaigns have reached approximately £15 million (€17 million) per year, although the exact proportion originating from industry is not clearly established. Questions also remain regarding the transparency of this funding with local partners, particularly public authorities, who are especially vigilant about ensuring there are no links with the tobacco industry.

However, in 2013, the association announced its commitment to no longer accept funding from the tobacco industry. Since then, KBT has claimed to have made this collaboration transparent. The anti-smoking organization Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) denies this, with numerous concerned messages received from local government employees confirming that the situation was not widely known.

Risks of influence and conflicts of interest

The use of intermediary structures is a common and well-documented practice by the tobacco industry to support seemingly independent initiatives in order to extend its influence. For manufacturers, this also serves to improve their image, a practice known as "greenwashing," in addition to avoiding bearing the environmental costs of tobacco themselves. Hazel Cheeseman, executive director of ASH, stated:’ It is deeply disappointing to see an influential charity like Keep Britain Tidy accepting funding linked to the tobacco industry. This undermines its integrity and risks causing local authorities to fail in their legal obligation to protect public policy from tobacco industry influence. »[2].

This funding can indeed raise questions about the influence exerted on the actions taken. Local authorities have reported that certain proposals, such as the integration of smoking cessation messages or information on smoking cessation services, were rejected in campaigns supported by KBT.

Transparency, independence and accountability of tobacco companies are now required.

ASH therefore calls for strict compliance with Article 5.3 of the FCTC, which requires public bodies to protect policymaking against the special interests of the tobacco industry, particularly with regard to refusing any funding, even indirect, from industry and its representatives.

The organization argues that a system for collecting and cleaning cigarette butts should be put in place according to the "polluter pays" principle, therefore at the expense of the manufacturers, but that the extended producer responsibility mechanism should provide for a governance system independent of the manufacturers.

Meanwhile, Mary Creagh, from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), told the anti-waste campaign that she could not support it.[3].

©Generation Without Tobacco

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[1]Keep Britain Tidy's income tripled after receiving tobacco industry money: conflict of interest questions are inevitable, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), published April 21, 2026, accessed April 22, 2026

[2]Alex Ralph, Tobacco industry gave millions to Keep Britain Tidy via middleman, The Times, published April 7, 2026, accessed April 22, 2026

[3]Alex Ralph, Nature minister snubs Keep Britain Tidy over tobacco cash, The Times, published May 10, 2026, accessed May 11, 2026

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