It's 'Environment Day'... Is the Increasing Cigarette Butt Littering Every Year Acceptable?

Environmental Movement Federation Points Out Cigarette Butt Issue
Increase in Illegal Disposal of Cigarette Butts...Fine Around 50,000 Won
Experts Say "Efforts Needed from Smokers and Tobacco Companies"

No Smoking Area Sign in a Building in Euljiro, Jung-gu, Seoul / Photo by Seulgi Kim, Intern Reporter sabiduriakim@asiae.co.kr

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] On the occasion of Environment Day (the 5th), it is known that the illegal disposal of cigarette butts, which are the main culprit of marine microplastic pollution, remains prevalent, raising the need for heightened awareness. Experts have suggested that efforts from both smokers and tobacco companies are necessary to reduce the illegal disposal of cigarette butts.

World Environment Day was established on June 5th every year following the 'United Nations Conference on the Human Environment' held in Stockholm, Sweden, in June 1972, where the international community pledged joint efforts to protect the global environment.

On this day, various campaigns are conducted worldwide to encourage individual and community activities for environmental protection. However, despite these environmental protection movements, some still discard cigarette butts carelessly, causing problems.

According to a survey, the most frequently found plastic waste on the streets was cigarette butts.

On the 4th, the Korea Federation for Environmental Movements conducted a nationwide investigation into the state of littering in daily life on Environment Day, finding that cigarette butts accounted for 6,488 pieces, or 54%, out of 12,055 pieces of discarded waste.

Among the 6,488 cigarette butts, 89%, or 5,768 pieces, were found in urban areas. Following that, many were also found in marine areas (511 pieces), mountains (108 pieces), and rural areas (99 pieces).

According to Seoul City, the number of illegal cigarette butt disposal violations increased from 65,870 cases in 2015 to 68,619 in 2016, and 72,789 in 2017.

The demand for cigarettes also remains strong. According to the Ministry of Strategy and Finance in January, last year’s domestic cigarette sales amounted to 3.45 billion packs.

Cigarette butts and trash are piled up in a storm drain near Euljiro 1(il)-ga Station in Seoul.
Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

The problem lies in the chemicals and microplastics contained in cigarette butts. If these substances are not properly disposed of, they flow into the sea and have a significant impact on the marine ecosystem.

According to an experiment by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), when one cigarette butt was soaked in 1 liter of water for 96 hours to leach harmful substances, and fish were placed in that water, more than half of the fish died.

Currently, under the Waste Management Act, illegal disposal of cigarette butts is subject to a fine of 50,000 KRW. However, since both enforcement and collection are handled by local governments or districts, manpower shortages make enforcement difficult.

Some smokers complain about the lack of places to dispose of cigarette butts. A 29-year-old office worker A, who has been smoking for 10 years, said, "With the shortage of smoking areas, is there really a trash can to throw cigarette butts in? Aren’t trash cans on the streets being removed as well?" He added, "Some smokers carry portable cigarette butt ashtrays, but most find it difficult to do so."

Experts pointed out that efforts such as imposing obligations on tobacco manufacturers to collect cigarette butts, like the European Union (EU), are necessary.

Hong Suyeol, director of the Resource Circulation Social Economy Research Institute, said in a phone interview with Asia Economy, "As indoor smoking has been banned, more people smoke outdoors, increasing the rate of cigarette butt littering on the streets. Especially in Korea, many cigarette butts are discarded into storm drains, which is problematic."

He continued, "Since cigarette filters are microplastics, illegal disposal causes them to flow into the sea and pollute the environment. The EU passed a law last year requiring tobacco manufacturers to take responsibility for collecting cigarette butts," he explained.

He added, "Currently, Korean tobacco companies pay about 100 billion KRW in waste disposal fees. However, these funds are not being properly used for cigarette butt collection projects, which is an issue. Strong legislation is needed to prevent smokers from littering cigarette butts, and tobacco manufacturers must make efforts such as reverse collection of cigarette butts," he emphasized.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.