Approaching Clean Up Australia Day on Sunday, March 1, advocacy group No More Butts is asking community members to get behind a petition to put a ban on the sale of filtered cigarettes in Australia by 2030.
The petition has been bolstered by the Clean Up Australia 2025 Litter Report, which found cigarette butts accounted for 23.6 per cent of all litter counted last year.
Coming in behind cigarette butts was soft plastics at 18.6 per cent of litter counted and plastic bags at 8.7 per cent.
Most cigarette filters are made out of a type of plastic called cellulose acetate, a non-biodegradable plastic that breaks up slowly and takes 14 years to decompose, according to Clean Up Australia.
No More Butts founder Shannon Mead said he was concerned the scale of the issue was not being grasped.
“Eight point nine billion cigarette butts littered annually equals roughly 17,000 butts every minute, or close to 280 every second, around the clock,” he said.
“This is enough to fill around 3500 household wheelie bins each year.”
The report also found that butts can leach toxic chemicals into soil, waterways, wildlife and ecosystems.
Mr Mead said No More Butts was calling for stronger national action, suggesting a phase out on sales of filtered cigarettes and ensuring clear accountability for environment impacts.
“Other industries are now required to take responsibility for the waste they create. Tobacco should be no exception,” he said.
“Until cigarette butts are regulated as plastic pollution, Australia will continue to see the same result year after year, another report, another missed opportunity for meaningful change.”
He encouraged community members to take action by adding their voice to the petition for a filter ban via the No More Butts website at nomorebutts.org/petitions
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