Butts On Beach

Protecting Oceans and Waterways from Cigarette Butt Waste


Butts On Beach 1

A recent ELC report prepared for Surfrider Canada tackles potential solutions to the messy problem of toxic cigarette butt litter, but it may require public pressure for governments to actually take action.

Fewer people seem to smoke in recent years, but discarded cigarette butts remain a leading source of plastic pollution, especially in the marine environment. Discarded butts containing thousands of toxic chemicals and microplastics, which stay in the environment for extended periods of time, poisoning water, birds, fish, plants and other marine life.

Protecting Oceans and Waterways from Cigarette Butt Waste explores solutions at the municipal, provincial and federal levels ranging from extended producer responsibility programs to outright bans, which have been considered in Canada but never implemented. Beyond banning butts as litter, the report evaluates the pros and cons of potential solutions, focusing on the provincial and federal options that have the most likelihood of being successful, although there are some actions local governments can take to deal with cigarette butt waste. As the problem is global, we also explore how other jurisdictions are approaching the issue and some of the challenges they encounter. Ultimately, it may take community persistence in asking governments to make changes, but the efforts could significantly benefit our ecosystems.

The most widespread form of consumer pollution comes from cigarette butts – and the plastic filters most of them have are particularly toxic. This report sets out the different legal avenues Canada has to reduce this waste. The feds can ban the filters as a toxic substance or (ideally AND) provinces can include the waste as part of the circular economy. The report gets into the particular legal mechanisms Canada already has to take action on this form of plastic pollution.

Patricia Weber, ELC Clinic Lawyer

I was surprised to learn that municipal powers to regulate cigarette butt pollution are either restricted in scope or not enough to significantly root out the problem. This was an excellent opportunity to contribute to a report that shows governments how they can act on a pressing environmental issue of our time.

Paarth Mittal, ELC Coop Student (Spring 2024)