Globally, over 2 billion cigarette butts are tossed to the ground every day, the most littered item in the US and the world. But now a group of motivated community members are organizing in Portland, Oregon to spread the word that tossing your butts is illegal — and making the world an uglier place.
The facts on their Butt Hunt website — www.butthuntpdx.com — point out that cigarette butts are not biodegradable, as most smokers might assume, “They are made of plastic cellulose acetate and under ideal conditions they can still take up to 12 years to break down.” In addition, the toxins carried in butts can kill small animals.
A clean up initiative, the Portland Butt Hunt, is set for April 19 and will involve smokers and non-smokers alike picking up the butts and honoring Earth Day. Sara Fritsch is very passionate about the issue and says the key to the butt eradication effort is education and awareness. So spread the word!