- 05.08.2025
- Media releases
UN must ban cigarette filters – Swiss NGOs put on pressure
(Bern/Geneva) - In August 2025, states from around the world will gather in Geneva to draft an international treaty against plastic pollution at the second meeting of the fifth round of negotiations (INC-5.2). Following difficult discussions in November 2024 in Busan, South Korea, this meeting should result in a final text. Cigarette butts represent an often-overlooked but significant part of this problem. The signatory organisations hereby call for a ban on these environmentally harmful filters.
Every year, 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are carelessly discarded worldwide. Smokers and non-smokers alike are unaware that, despite their tiny size, these butts have a huge impact. ‘Cigarette filters are made of cellulose acetate, a plastic that slowly breaks down into harmful microplastics’, explains Markus Dick, director of the NGO stop2drop. According to Dick, this isn’t the only problem: ‘Cigarette butts contain more than 7,000 chemicals, including toxic heavy metals and nicotine. Rain and water dissolve these toxic substances, which then pollute the soil and waterways’.
Systematic deception: Why cigarette filters are harmful to health
The tobacco industry introduced modern cigarette filters in the 1950s to allay public concerns about smoking-related lung cancer. However, these plastic filters pollute our environment without providing the protection smokers expect. Luciano Ruggia, director of the Swiss Association for Tobacco Control (AT Switzerland), explains: ‘Cigarette filters are a marketing ploy used by the tobacco industry. They claim to protect against harmful substances, but they are useless. Cigarette filters are harmful to health because they encourage smokers to draw harder on the cigarette and inhale toxic substances deeper into their lungs’.
stop2drop / AT Schweiz
One million toxic cigarette butts in front of the UN headquarters as a memorial – collected by volunteers from the NGO stop2drop.
The world is negotiating – are filters being ignored?
When the international community gathers at the Palace of Nations in Geneva from 5 to 14 August 2025 to conclude negotiations on an international treaty against global plastic pollution, toxic plastic filters must not be forgotten. ‘The world is negotiating a treaty against plastic pollution – cigarette filters must therefore be urgently included in the list of banned substances’, demands Luciano Ruggia. Without clear regulations, the environment will continue to be polluted by these toxic cigarette butts.
No room for false solutions: tobacco filters must be banned completely
The agreement being negotiated in Geneva aims to ban single-use plastic. Environmentally friendly alternatives already exist for many products, such as bamboo straws or compostable paper sacks. However, no sustainable alternative for cigarette filters exists. The tobacco industry is trying to circumvent the ban with so-called "ecological" filters, such as paper filters labeled "eco filters" or "green butts", as well as supposedly biodegradable variants made from plant fibres. This is clearly a case of greenwashing: these filters, which remain highly toxic, pollute soil and water with tar, nicotine, and heavy metals. Moreover, many "biofilters" only decompose under industrial conditions that are virtually nonexistent in the environment. The industry's strategy is to continue selling disposable filters under a new label. The INC negotiators must not be deceived. For Luciano Ruggia of AT Switzerland, one thing is clear: ‘The ban must apply to all types of filters, not just plastic ones’.
Taking the WHO Convention seriously
Cigarette butts are the most carelessly discarded rubbish in Switzerland and worldwide. AT Switzerland and stop2drop are therefore calling for the agreement against plastic pollution to ban cigarette filters and establish a clear link with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). This convention requires, among other things, that politicians be protected from the influence of the tobacco industry and that pollution caused by tobacco products be addressed. A clear commitment to the FCTC also ensures that filters are not simply considered plastic waste, but rather addictive tobacco products with harmful effects on health and the environment.
Politicians must act – four key demands
The Swiss Association for Tobacco Control and stop2drop jointly request:
- A global ban on filters: A total ban on all cigarette filters, regardless of their material, in INC 5.2, including so-called “ecological filters.” Filters should be considered harmful tobacco products and banned altogether.
- Polluters pay: Tobacco manufacturers must bear the costs of cleaning up and disposing of rubbish from filters, in accordance with the polluter-pays principle.
- A clear framework rather than greenwashing: The agreement must explicitly incorporate the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), exclude any industry influence, and coherently link environmental and health policies.
- Independent information and clear rules: awareness campaigns independent from the industry and binding rules for the collection and disposal of cigarette rubbish are necessary to effectively combat littering.
For information:
German: Markus Dick, Geschäftsführer stop2drop, +41 77 448 35 76, markus.dick@stop2drop.ch
Nicola Imseng, AT Schweiz, +41 79 396 55 37, nicola.imseng@at-schweiz.ch
French: Luciano Ruggia, Directeur Association suisse pour la prévention du tabagisme, +41 78 633 14 42, luciano.ruggia@at-schweiz.ch
Italian: Luciano Ruggia, Direttore Associazione svizzera per la prevenzione del tabagismo, +41 78 633 14 42, luciano.ruggia@at-schweiz.ch
English : Luciano Ruggia, Director, Swiss Association for Tobacco Control (AT Switzerland), +41 78 633 14 42, luciano.ruggia@at-schweiz.ch
About AT Switzerland
The Swiss Association for Tobacco Control is the centre of expertise in this area. As an umbrella organisation for promoting a tobacco-free life, it currently has more than 50 organisational members. AT Switzerland provides them with a broad network of experts and its specialist knowledge in the fields of tobacco control and prevention. Through evidence-based services and networking among key stakeholders, it is committed to a sustainably healthy and smoke-free Switzerland. More information about AT Switzerland: www.at-schweiz.ch
About stop2drop
Created in 2019 by a class from the canton of Bern, stop2drop became an independent association in 2022. Its goal: to combat cigarette littering and raise public and political awareness of the environmental and health impacts of nicotine substitutes. The NGO relies on a vast network of partners active in smoking prevention and environmental protection. The Tobacco Prevention Fund supports stop2drop as part of its program for children and youth. More information about stop2drop: https://stop2drop.ch/