A cigarette butt dropped to the ground seems insignificant.  But follow that butt as it’s carried off by rain into storm drains and eventually to streams and rivers. It now adds up to a big impact on the places we live:

Cigarette litter creates blight. It accumulates in gutters, and outside doorways and bus shelters. Increasing amounts of litter in a business district or recreation area create a sense that no one cares, leading to more community disorder.

Cigarette butts don’t disappear.  About 95% of cigarette filters are composed of cellulose acetate, a form of plastic which does not quickly degrade and can persist in the environment.¹

Filters are harmful to waterways and wildlife. About 18% of litter, traveling primarily through storm water systems, ends up in local streams, rivers, and waterways. Cigarette litter can also pose a hazard to animals and marine life when they mistake filters for food.¹

¹ Clean VA Waterways http://www.longwood.edu/cleanva/cigarettelitterhome.html