Time to kick the butt of the most common litter item in the world: Ban cigarette filters

Cigarette filters offer no public health benefits, are single-use plastics (cellulose acetate) and are routinely littered. Filters account for a significant proportion of plastic litter worldwide, requiring considerable public funds to remove, and are a source of microplastics. Used cigarette filters can leech toxic chemicals and pose an ecological risk to both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Bottom-up measures, such as focusing on consumer behaviour, are ineffective and we need to impose top-down solutions (i.e., bans) if we are to reduce the prevalence of this number one litter item. Banning filters offers numerous ecological, socioeconomic, and public health benefits. [Display omitted] •Cigarette filters are the most abundant litter item found in the environment globally.•Cigarette filters offer no human health benefits yet are a major source of plastic (cellulose acetate) pollution.•Cigarette filters contain contaminants adding to planetary burden of chemicals and pose ecological risks.•Cigarette filters should be considered hazardous waste.•Cellulose acetate cigarette filters should be banned.