International mobilization calls for ban on plastic cigarette filters

Launched on May 13, 2025, the global campaign “ No Plastic Filter » brings together a broad coalition of scientific, institutional, associative and citizen actors to demand the banning of plastic cigarette filters, identified as one of the most massive, toxic and persistent sources of environmental pollution. This initiative is part of the international negotiations on the Global Plastics Treaty, the evaluation of the European directive on single-use plastics (SUP) and several legislative reforms underway at the national level.

A coordinated call against avoidable and pervasive pollution

Cigarette filters are made of cellulose acetate, a non-biodegradable plastic. Once discarded into the environment, these filters fragment into microplastics, releasing thousands of toxic chemicals, including heavy metals, pesticides, and arsenic. Their presence is systematic: from beaches to playgrounds, from hospitals to waterways, they are now the most widespread form of plastic pollution worldwide.

The scale of the phenomenon is such that it is estimated that more than 100,000 filters are discarded every second worldwide. Their spread is no accident: it is a direct result of the product's design, which was created to be discarded. The strategy of individual accountability promoted by the tobacco industry, particularly through the funding of cleaning or recycling systems, cannot be considered a sustainable solution to this structural pollution.

A marketing artifact with health consequences

Contrary to popular belief, cigarette filters do not reduce the risks associated with smoking. On the contrary, they can contribute to them by promoting deeper inhalations without effectively filtering toxic substances. This reality is now well documented. Since their introduction and widespread use in the 1950s, filters have primarily been a marketing response from manufacturers designed to reassure smokers and attract new smokers, particularly women and young people.

The World Health Organization (WHO) now describes these filters as "problematic and avoidable plastic" and calls on governments to adopt bans.

A structured global campaign to push for a ban

The "No Plastic Filter" campaign is structured around several key moments, with the aim of uniting support and creating political momentum conducive to the adoption of legislative measures. It mobilizes citizens around the world, civil society organizations, and public officials around a common call, relayed on the official campaign website. It also encourages the organization of a global awareness day, planned for July 5, 2025, aimed at illustrating the scale of the problem through internationally coordinated collection actions. An environmental monitoring program will also be implemented in the fall to document the presence of filters in different European countries and support policy recommendations with solid empirical data.

Alongside citizen mobilization, the campaign aims to provide public decision-makers with scientific and operational arguments to accelerate the adoption of national and international laws banning the manufacture and marketing of plastic filters.

The CNCT's commitment to a ban on filters

The National Committee Against Smoking (CNCT) has for several years supported the banning of cigarette filters, which it considers both a major source of pollution and a health deception.[1]In France, the CNCT is advocating for their withdrawal as part of a global approach to the fight against tobacco waste, combining public health objectives and environmental protection.

As part of the negotiations for the future Global Plastics Treaty, the CNCT, a member of the Stop Tobacco Pollution Alliance (STPA), is actively advocating for filters to be included in the list of single-use plastic products to be banned worldwide. It emphasizes that only ambitious regulations, based on available scientific data, will break the environmental impunity that the tobacco industry still enjoys.

©Generation Without Tobacco

AE

[1] Press release, INC5.2 – An opportunity to have a bold plastic treaty, aligned with health objectives and including pollution from tobacco products, CNCT, published December 2, 2024, consulted May 13, 2025