Tobacco product waste cleanups and costs

Tobacco Product Waste (TPW), which includes discarded cigarette butts, packaging materials, e-cigarette components, and other tobacco-related litter, is a growing environmental concern. TPW represents the most commonly littered waste item globally, yet its economic environmental impact is often underestimated. Discarded cigarette butts are not only a public nuisance; they release toxic chemicals and plastic into the environment, posing risks to ecosystems and human health. Cities have conducted litter audits to support TPW mitigation policies, including applying litter fees to tobacco products to offset cleanup costs. Such interventions can reduce tobacco product waste, particularly in communities and environmental settings most affected by tobacco use. Voluntary cleanups by communities, environmental advocacy organizations, and concerned citizens have emerged as a response to TPW. However, TPW cleanups currently lack standardized protocols, hindering effective monitoring and policy development. This study conducted a limited review of published reports and found that various non-profit organizations lack standardized data collection methods. To address this, we recommend a standardized approach that includes elements such as hours spent collecting TPW and number of volunteers involved, which can then be assigned a monetary value to the person-hours expended during these events. This proposed method makes it possible to estimate some of the negative economic externalities attributable to TPW pollution to order to inform policy and surveillance activities.