Why is it that otherwise conscientious people think it's OK to throw cigarette butts on the sidewalk, out their car windows, in planters at public places, onto other people's landscaping, into waterways, on beaches ... really, everywhere? According to a recent article in the Chicago Tribune, cigarette butts represent a huge pollution problem.
"Experts say cigarette butts rank at the very top of litter problems -- not just for their ubiquity, but for their toxicity and non-biodegradable nature."
Of course, some people who smoke are clueless, some are apathetic, some just don’t care. But I know people who smoke who wouldn’t dream of dropping a candy or gum wrapper, a used tissue, or any other litter on the ground – except their butts.
Here's my challenge to anyone who smokes: carry with you a zip-closure plastic bag, and use it for one month to collect all of the waste associated with your habit – ashes, matches/matchbooks and spent lighters, and of course, the butts. At the end of the month, take a look at what you’ve collected, and think about how to dispose of the toxic mess that heretofore you’ve been giving to others by mindlessly discarding it in public places.
Good visual. I'm posting this to my facebook page with your permission.
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