How high is the awareness of cigarette butt pollution on our beaches?

In order to better understand cigarette butt littering on beaches and the reasons behind behavioral choices of beach-goers a survey was conducted in the framework of the project. Hereby we offer an insight on the results from Estonia. In general respondents aged above 60 years old still smoke traditional cigarettes more often, and if no trash bin is nearby, they may dispose of cigarette butts on the sand or ground. Younger respondents, on the other hand, are more likely to avoid littering and tend to use pocket ashtrays when no public trash bin is in sight.

At the same time, the survey revealed other important findings. For example, many young people are now using alternative nicotine products, such as e-cigarettes or nicotine pouches instead of conventional cigarettes. Many of them consider these products to be healthier alternatives to cigarettes. This shows that when talking about smoking-related litter, we also need to broaden the discussion and address the environmental and health aspects of alternative products.

Another striking result was the clear divide in opinions about the environmental harm of cigarette butts. While half of respondents are aware that cigarette butts are create a hazard to the environment and living organisms, the other half do not know enough about the risks. This tells us clearly: although we are already raising awareness about littering and the harmful impacts of cigarette butts, more work still needs to be done in terms of education.