There have been calls for New Zealand to adopt a similar stance to the European Parliament, which recently announced plans to require tobacco companies to manage cigarette butt litter. In October 2018, an overwhelming majority in the European Parliament voted in favour of a ground-breaking decision that will see cigarette manufacturers having to contribute to the cost of cleaning up their waste. “Increasing awareness of the toxicity and non-biodegradability of filters, and their role in creating TPW [tobacco product waste], could generate public and political support for requiring tobacco companies to manage this serious environmental problem,” said Professor Janet Hoek and Emeritus Professor Philip Gendall from the University of Otago. “As well as specific measures to re-apportion responsibility for TPW, policy measures should continue to foster smoking cessation and decrease uptake, because reducing smoking prevalence presents the best long-term solution to addressing TPW.”
