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The plastic straw has been at the forefront of conversations about damaging man-made waste but cigarette butts have turned out to be an even bigger problem. An estimated 4.5 trillion butts are littered globally each year, The BBC reports, and their effects are incredibly harmful.
A study led by Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge found that cigarette butts left in grass and soil cause stunt plant growth. The study also suggests cigarette butts are the most pervasive man-made contaminant and the most littered item worldwide.
The article goes on to state the following:
Researchers found that this waste cuts down the germination success of grass by 10 percent and shortens the shoot length of clover by up to 28 percent. Most cigarette butts contain a filter made of cellulose acetate fibre — a type of a bioplastic which is not biodegradable — and can cause the same damage to plant growth as un-smoked cigarettes.
In 2017 volunteers cleaned up 2.4 Million cigarette butts. Now think about the majority that were missed. https://t.co/8ewpi50tsR
— Steve Westly (@SteveWestly) July 17, 2019
Experts say cigarette butts — not plastic straws — are largest human-caused pollutant https://t.co/aPFM7E2Anl pic.twitter.com/smKsjyQRs5
— CBS News (@CBSNews) July 21, 2019
Cigarette butts in soil hamper plant growth, study suggests https://t.co/pcfw9A0nnh
— Llangattock Litter (@LlangattockPick) July 19, 2019
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