Annual Cigarette Butts Cleanup Calculator
Calculate Your Yearly Cleanup Impact
Use our calculator to see the environmental impact of cleaning up cigarette butts over a year. Every butt removed makes a difference!
How the Calculator Works
Our Annual Cigarette Butts Cleanup Calculator uses the following factors to estimate the yearly environmental impact of your cleanup efforts:
- Water pollution prevention: Each cigarette butt can contaminate up to 7.5 liters of water
- Plastic reduction: Cigarette filters contain plastic that takes years to decompose
- Wildlife protection: Many animals mistake cigarette butts for food
- Fire prevention: Improperly discarded butts can cause fires
By inputting the number of cigarette butts you've collected over a year, the calculator estimates the positive environmental impact of your annual efforts.
Why Cigarette Butts are Terrible for the Environment
Toxic Pollution
Cigarette butts contain over 7,000 toxic chemicals, including arsenic, lead, and nicotine. When left in the environment, these toxins leach into soil and water systems, poisoning wildlife and contaminating ecosystems.
Non-Biodegradable Waste
The filters in cigarette butts are made of cellulose acetate, a form of plastic that can take up to 10 years to decompose. During this time, they break down into microplastics, further polluting our environment.
Marine Life Hazard
Cigarette butts are the most common form of plastic litter found in marine environments. Sea creatures often mistake them for food, leading to choking, starvation, and the introduction of toxins into the food chain.
Fire Risk
Improperly discarded cigarette butts can cause devastating wildfires, particularly in dry environments. These fires destroy habitats, endanger wildlife, and release large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Urban Pollution
In urban areas, cigarette butts clog drainage systems, contribute to unsightly litter, and increase the cost of city cleaning efforts. They also release harmful chemicals into urban environments where people live and work.