Cigarette butts make cleaning Cheney difficult

“Cigarette butts, the most littered items in the world, are proving to be an intractable trash problem for regulators and tobacco companies. Throwing them on the ground is a firmly entrenched habit for many smokers.”

This statement published in the Wall Street Journal was sent to me recently. It goes on to say “Regulators are taking a tougher stance on cigarette filter pollution amid concerns about the environmental impact of single use plastic. For decades, butts have been made from cellulose acetate, a form of plastic that takes years to break down. Studies have shown that butts washed into drains (and) ultimately into waterways can be toxic to fish.”

The article points out that the smoking habit seems to be so ingrained it seems to be a part of a ritual. My litter pick up seems to verify that. Take out a cigarette, light and smoke it, then toss it on the ground if driving or on the sidewalk if walking. About 65 percent of cigarettes smoked in the U.S. are littered.

I’m going to need a lot of help picking up litter to lower that statistic.

Pat Reagan

Cheney