Tobacco companies asked to foot the bill for cleaning up cigarette butts in Spain

New environmental legislation in Spain will require tobacco businesses to pay for cleaning up the millions of cigarette ends that consumers throw away each year, as reported by the Guardian.The decision, which takes effect this Friday, is one of a number of policies intended to lessen waste and boost recycling. It forbids the use of cotton buds, expanded polystyrene cups, plastic straws, single-use plastic cutlery, and plates, as well as restricts the use of plastic food packaging.

The rule complies with a European Union directive that restricts the use of single-use plastics and attempts to make polluters responsible for cleaning up the damage they cause.

The public will also be educated by cigarette producers to avoid leaving cigarette wastein the open, although it is still unknown how the clean-up will be carried out or how much it will cost. According to a Catalan study, the price ranged from €12 to €21 per resident each year, or up to €1 billion (£880 million).

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The Catalan government considered implementing a programme earlier this year whereby cigarettes could be redeemed for €0.20 each, adding €4 to the current average price of €5 for a pack of 20. The programme is not yet official.

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Cigarette ends are one of the most common types of litter and take around 10 years to degrade, spewing harmful chemicals like arsenic and lead in the process.

The non-profit organisation Ocean Conservancy claims that with an estimated 5 billion cigarettes being thrown into the ocean each year, cigarette butts are the most prevalent source of marine pollution.

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