Final warning for the polluting tobacco industry

On July 8, Rebecca Pow, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs since September 2019[1], urged the tobacco industry to take responsibility for reducing cigarette butt pollution.

The Tobacco Industry's Disconcerting Passivity in the Face of the Country's Main Source of Waste

On the table since 2015, the request made to tobacco manufacturers to participate in the national effort to clean up cigarette butts and packets is still at the same point, namely nowhere. In 2015, the Select Committee on Communities and Local Government (CLG Committee) deplored the fact that cigarette waste was at the top of the list of the most widespread items (72.8% in 2015[2]). Accordingly, the CLG Committee made recommendations aimed at reducing the quantity of waste as well as raising public awareness of the cost generated by this waste.[3].

At the time, tobacco companies such as British American Tobacco UK, Gallaher and Imperial Tobacco were hiding behind Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which aims to protect public health policies from tobacco industry interference.[4], to avoid responsibility[5] blaming the authorities' lack of willingness to cooperate with them. The Committee responded that industrialists could perfectly well undertake decontamination and awareness-raising actions, independently of the authorities.

However, in 2020, Rebecca Pow is forced to resort to threats to hope for change. In response to the passivity of manufacturers who are not investing any means to relieve communities of the cost of cigarette waste or to raise awareness among their consumers about tobacco pollution, the British government is making a final appeal before considering legislation to legally force them to assume their share of responsibility.

 

The cost of cigarette butts

According to the Environmental Services Association (ESA), cigarette waste collection costs the UK around £140 million each year.[6]. Suffice to say that this is a source of considerable losses and that investing in the prevention of such pollution would not be a decision without interest.

Environmentally, considering the risk of fire, the average 12 years of decomposition, the contamination of soil and water and the alteration of flora and fauna, the environmental cost is no less expensive.

©Tobacco Free Generation

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[1] Rebecca Pow MP, UK Government (accessed 17 July 2020). [2] PERCHARD Edward, National KBT survey notes rise in fast-food litter, Resource (December 23, 2015 - accessed July 17, 2020). [3] KANE Annie, Tobacco Levies should help pay for street cleaning, Resource (March 16, 2015 - accessed July 17, 2020). [4] Guidelines for the application of Article 5.3, WHO (accessed 17 July 2020). [5] Communities and Local Government Committee, Litter and fly-tipping in England, House of Commons (London: 14 March 2015 - accessed 17 July 2020). [6] PERCHARD Edward, Make producers of littered products pay for clean-up, says ESA, Resource (October 11, 2016 - accessed July 17, 2020). DNF - For a Zero Tobacco World | MT