Tobacco companies must clean up Spanish roads and beaches for cigarette butts under new environmental regulations.
Millions of cigarette butts are thrown away each year, creating toxic plastic waste that takes decades to decompose.
Statistics for 2020 reveal that about one-fifth of adults in Spain smoke daily.
The regulation went into effect on Friday, but it is not yet clear how it will be implemented and whether the costs will be passed on to consumers.
A report by the Catalunya Rezero Foundation estimates that Catalan municipalities pay €12 to €21 ($13 to $22) per capita per year to clean tobacco streets, with the cost higher in coastal areas. is shown.
Cigarette littering is “most common” on the western Mediterranean coast, the report said, citing existing measures, such as public awareness campaigns and portable ashtrays on beaches, that are insufficient.
This regulation makes manufacturers responsible for collecting discarded cigarette butts and transporting them for disposal.
According to local media, the Mesa del Tabaco association said it was not yet sure how the regulation would be implemented.
Most cigarette butts have a filter made of cellulose acetate fiber, a type of bioplastic.
Scientists say microplastic pollution can also stunt plant growth.
The new rules are part of a law passed last year banning single-use plastics such as cutlery and straws and are made in compliance with a European Union directive.
A similar bill was introduced in Ireland on Thursday, requiring tobacco companies to pay for cigarette littering.
About half of Ireland’s trash is tobacco related, according to Ireland’s National Garbage Pollution Monitoring System.
In recent years, Spain has introduced a series of drastic measures to curb smoking. Last July, smoking was banned on all public beaches in Barcelona, with fines of €30 ($32) for violators.
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