PITCH-IN CANADA
Resource Centre

Let's talk FACTS...

• Cigarette butts are consistently are the most frequent debris items found during International Coastal Clean Ups.
  
  For more information about Coastal Clean Ups please click here.
  
• Cigarette filters are made from non-biodegradable materials, and remain on beaches indefinitely.
  
• Millions of cigarette butts are discarded on streets, where they travel through storm drain systems and eventually end up in waterways and on our beaches.
  
• Cigarette butts are deadly to wildlife, which eat the filters mistaking them for food.
  
• Cigarette filters absorb hazardous compounds such as cadmium, arsenic, and lead. These are "filtered out" during the smoking process. Animals eat the filter and ingest these hazardous compounds.

What YOU can Do...

• Don't leave cigarette filters on the beach.
  
• Never flick cigarette butts out of the window of cars, or on the sidewalk or ANYWHERE outside. Use public ashtrays or carry your own "portable" ashtray.
  
• If you don't have an ashtray, empty the tobacco and put the filter in your pocket.
  
• Encourage restaurants, businesses and other establishments you frequent where smoking may not be allowed to purchase public ashtrays at doors and other open areas where their customers smoke.
  
• Ask your employer or office building manager to install public ashtrays at the front door to your building or in other areas where employees "congregate" to take a smoke!