Plastic in filters: the new European regulation

At the end of December 2020, the European Directive on the reduction of the environmental impact of certain plastic components was adopted in the European Union. This regulation requires the affixing of warnings on plastic products, including tobacco products containing a filter[1].

Applied from July 3, 2021, each package must include the warning below. The latter must be visible, its message clearly legible and indelible (" The filter contains plastic "), in the official language or languages of the Member State in which the package is placed on sale. However, this marking requirement must not be to the detriment of the readability of the health warnings, which in the European Union cover 65% of the surface area of the two main sides of the package. Manufacturers will however have the possibility of affixing a sticker until 4 July 2022, in order to have time to comply with the requirements of this new directive.

The filter, a diceastrand environmental and health

Every year, an estimated 6 trillion cigarettes are put on the market worldwide, half of which are thrown into the environment after consumption. However, most cigarettes contain a filter made of cellulose acetate that takes years to decompose. In this way, the filter constitutes one of the main waste found in nature. For example, cigarette butts and filters make up no less than 40% of waste in the Mediterranean Sea. This data is all the more problematic since the filter has no real justification from a public health point of view. The latter is a solution developed by the tobacco industry to respond to consumers' initial concerns about the potential risks of smoking to their health. However, far from reducing the dangers of consumption, the filter allows the smoker to take larger, more prolonged puffs, increasing the toxicity and addictiveness of the product.

A measure to denormalize smoking and its industry

This new regulation is in line with the requirements of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), emphasizing the need for Parties to inform citizens of the health, social, economic and environmental impact of tobacco production and consumption.

[1] FCTC, New marking on tobacco products filters containing plastic in the European Union, consulted on 01/19/2021