Butt out: Costa Blanca’s aims for cigarette-free beaches

Costa Blanca has initiated a new awareness campaign titled ‘Beaches Without Cigarette Butts’.

The aim is to address the issues arising from smoking in public and natural areas.

Throughout August, environmental educators will engage with smokers on the region’s busiest beaches, providing them with biodegradable ashtrays designed to prevent microplastic pollution.

Reduce Waste

This campaign marks the first effort to promote the use of materials that reduce plastic waste and prevent cigarette butts from accumulating in beach sand.

A report from Ecoembes Libera highlights that cigarette butts are the most prevalent type of waste globally, particularly in marine environments.

Harmful Toxins

These butts contain cellulose acetate filters, a form of non-biodegradable plastic, which can persist in nature for extended periods while releasing harmful toxins that pollute ecosystems.

The European Parliament’s EU Directive 2019/904, enacted on June 5, 2019, addresses the significant environmental harm caused by tobacco product waste with plastic filters.

It emphasises the need to mitigate the impact of such waste, which is often discarded carelessly into the environment.