When cigarette butts are discarded, wind and rain carry them into the water supply. The toxic chemicals they contain are then leached into the water, threatening the quality of water and marine life. Stormwater is not treated so all cigarettes carried by stormwater are dumped directly into the waterways. Cigarette butts can take up to 12 months to break down in freshwater and up to 5 years to break down in seawater. Cigarette butts are made from a material designed to trap tar and other toxic chemicals before they reach the smoker’s lungs. The filters are made from cellulose acetate and are coated with paper. The chemicals contained in cigarette butts can reduce the quality of our water and decline the marine life
