What's the World's Most Littered Plastic Item? Cigarette Butts | National Geographic

This routine is iconic, and let's forget two health issues; that's obvious. We're gonna focus on this part right here. It seems that cigarette litter is the last acceptable form of littering. It's also one of the most littered plastic items on this planet, so breathe that in for a second. [Music]

Cigarettes weren't always so popular. Here's what happened: before 1888, it took a really long time to roll a cigarette. But then this guy invented the rolling machine, and after that, between 1900 and 1960, three American adults went from smoking an average of 54 cigarettes a year to 4,000. The tobacco companies invested heavily into marketing; celebrities, athletes, and models made smoking seem sexy, healthy, and an essential part of American culture. [Music]

But then, in January 1964, a bombshell report was released. The report is unanimous: the death rate from lung cancer is 1,000% higher among people who smoke. This is when the filter really took off. Tobacco companies transitioned to marketing it as a way to reduce smoking hazards.

Today, with more than 6 trillion cigarettes being manufactured every year, that filter, made from cellulose acetate (aka plastic), became one of the most littered plastic items in the world, ending up here, here, and here. In New Jersey, CIN D Y Z as in zebra, IPAs, and pollution. F as in fish.

In the mid-'80s, New Jersey was the ocean dumping capital of the world. Sewage sludge, medical waste—these were terrible, terrible times for the region. In 1984, Cindy helps start Clean Ocean Action, and along with it, organized one of the nations' first beach sweeps, like the one you see here.

We have all the data in here; what we collected last year in just two days, almost 22,000 cigarettes. Data like that is the reason Cindy's team has been able to influence policy change. By 2002, New Jersey was dumpsite-free for the first time in 100 years. But they still have a lot of work to do.

Our society has evolved—not in such a positive way—over time. When looking at the beach sweep data, over 80% right now is plastic debris on the beaches. The good news is that Cindy's data shows that cigarette filters found on beaches have declined over the last few years.

However, according to the World Health Organization, cigarette butts are still the number one item picked up on beaches worldwide. The bad news? Vaping is quickly gaining popularity, and the cartridges and tips used with these products are becoming the next iteration of single-use plastic trash.

So here's what we can do about it. [Music]

The best solution? Get everyone to stop smoking, which probably won't work. The government could help here; cigarette disposal costs cities millions each year. Since '93, over 150 beaches in the U.S. implemented smoking bans, which in one case study led to fewer cigarette butts. But federally, we've yet to see any type of regulation.

Some companies claim they've created a completely biodegradable filter, but there's no hard science backing them up. Other solutions include filterless, roll-your-own cigarettes, pocket ashtrays, or reusable filters. But back to what Cindy said: cigarette litter is the last acceptable form of littering.

The key word here is acceptable. Social norms play a huge role in our behavior. If society thinks it's even a little bit okay, we're gonna do it, regardless of the impact. Nowadays, especially in the age of social media, public opinion can shift quicker than ever—just look at plastic straws.

So maybe the best solution might just be to make littering a cigarette butt socially unacceptable. [Laughter] [Music] You.