Cigarette butts are the most littered item in the world; San Diego is no exception. They’ve topped our annual beach cleanup counts for 14 years straight, accounting for as many as 1 in every 4 items found.
Far from benign, cigarette butts are made from plastic – which does not biodegrade in the marine environment – and contain hundreds of poisonous chemicals. Indeed, just one smoked butt in a liter of water can kill a fish.
Constantly littered on streets and sidewalks, butts end up in our storm drains and flow straight to the ocean.