Cigarette Butts Pollute More Than Plastic, And Trillions Destroy Plant Life Every Year

When it comes to polluting waste, humans have contributed a wide variety to Earth's landmasses and oceans.

But as bad as plastic is, we've found that cigarette butts are worse. And now, scientists have learned they're also harming our plant life.

Images courtesy: Reuters

According to a new study led by the Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, England, a cigarette butt can hamper the germination of shoots and development of plants. Apparently cigarette butts cut down the germination success of grass by 10 percent and clover by 27 percent in their study. They also stunt the shoots of the plants, reducing their length by 13 percent and 28 percent, respectively.

It's another piece of evidence to show we've been looking at the pollution problem all wrong. We've gone ahead trying to ban plastic bags and straws, without ever a though given to the cigarette butt problem.

An estimated 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are discarded each year. It's impossible to really reach that count, but this is our best guess given that about 5.6 trillion cigarettes are manufactured worldwide each year. And unfortunately, few of these are discarded responsibly.

These cigarette butts contain cellulose acetate in their filters, implemented decades ago in response to health fears among the public. Unfortunately, this is a type of plastic that takes decades to decompose. The thing is, most cigarette filters don't even help cut down on how unhealthy cigarettes are, they're just a glorified marketing tool implemented by Big Tobacco. To avoid bans.

And now, those filters are destroying our limited greenery.