Keeping toxic butts out of the ocean is a serious task. While roughly 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are tossed out as litter each year the filters they’re comprised of do not biodegrade over time. Instead they break up into microplastics that remain on land or in the sea, and release accumulated toxins like arsenic, formaldehyde, and nicotine not to mention heavy metals like lead and cadmium.
So what’s the solution? Joining campaigns like the one Surfrider Foundation San Francisco Chapter runs titled Hold On To Your Butt is one option. Prevention, and clean-up operations are undoubtedly necessary. And so are creative approaches to spreading awareness like the one displayed in the video below. Watch the ultimate act of recycling presented here – turning cigarette butts into a surfboard.
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