Are There Microplastics in Cigarette Filters?
I have just watched this amazing video on decomposition of cigarettes in soil. Guess what after a year the cigarettes filters had not decomposed at all. This demonstrates how plastics and ergo microplastics come from cigarette filters.
So this is why we spend so many cigarette filter on beaches. But what are they made out of?
What are Cigarette Filter Made Out Of?
It may look like cotton, but 95% of cigarette filters are made of cellulose acetate (a plastic), and the balance are made from papers and rayon.
Is Cellulose Acetate a Plastic?
Cellulose Acetate used in cigarette filter is a plastic. This is bad for the following reasons:
- It is often used in products that are designed to be disposable, such as cigarette butts and plastic bags. These products end up in landfills and oceans, where they can take hundreds of years to decompose.
- It can release harmful chemicals into the environment during the manufacturing process. These chemicals can pollute air and water, and can also harm wildlife.
- It is not as widely recycled as other plastics. This means that it is more likely to end up in landfills or incinerators, where it can release harmful greenhouse gases.
What can I do to help?
There are a number of ways you can help reduce microplastics pollution from cigarette filters.
- First off you should probably stop smoking, it is bad for you.
- Choose a cigarette with a paper filter.
- Roll you own cigarette and don’t use a filter.
- Don’t drop your cigarette on the ground, when you finish it.