Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/1500748
22 tobaccoasia Issue 3, 2023 May / June by Hugo Azinheira, global innovation director, Filtrona Cigarette butts are one of the most-littered items in the world. The World Health Organization estimates that 4.5 trillion cigarette butts end up as litter every year, where they can contaminate land and sea alike. Even those that are properly disposed of are often sent to landfill or incinerated due to a lack of recycling infrastructure, causing further pollution. Lawmakers expect action to be taken to reduce the number of butts littered every year, while consumers expect filters to produce a qual- ity smoking experience. The tobacco industry has the means to meet both expectations. By adopting an innovative approach to filters and working in partnership with specialty filter manufacturers to develop fit-for-purpose solutions, it can meet the needs of modern consumers and lawmakers while dramatically reducing its environmental footprint. Coming clean about filters Littered cigarette butts are much more than an eyesore. The whole point of a filter is to absorb the more hazardous chemicals that occur in tobacco smoke. These chemicals – which can include am- monia, formaldehyde, and arsenic – do not disap- pear once the filter is discarded and can leak into the ground and water over time. Sustainable Filter Solutions Filtrona offers sustainable filter solutions that bridge the needs of regulators and consumers. Most filters have historically been made of cellulose acetate (CA). This polymer has long been regarded as the market leader in terms of smoke chemistry, but is now under the microscope for its environmental impact. Its environmental per- sistence means cigarette filters can remain in the environment for decades after being discarded. These discarded butts can technically be re- cycled, however, in practice, this is easier said than done. The process sees the CA material separated from the paper waste and leftover tobacco resi- due before it is cleaned. If this is successful, the cleaned CA is extruded into pellets which can be mixed in with other forms of plastic and repur- posed for a range of applications. This process is time- and cost-intensive, and the infrastructure required to carry it out is not widespread. Cigarette waste requires its own recycling stream due to the intensive cleaning pro- cess it must go through – it cannot go through the same recycling stream as polyethylene, poly- propylene, or other commonly-recycled plastics. This specialist branch of the recycling industry is well-intentioned and will absolutely be a vital pillar in global sustainability strategies one day, but it has some way to go before it is ready to deal with the …[placing] the responsibility of product and packaging waste management onto producers…