Tobacco companies will now have to clean up cigarette butts from streets and beaches in Spain under a new environmental regulation.
The ruling, which also says cigarette manufacturers will be responsible for educating the public not to discard their butts in the public space, is part of a package of measures to reduce waste, single-use plastic usage, and increase recycling.
It is still being determined how the measures will be implemented, how much they will cost tobacco companies, and whether the costs will be passed on to consumers.
The law conforms to the European Union’s Green Deal directive, which is taking legal steps on the use of single-use plastics, forcing polluters to look after what they leave behind.
Close to a quarter of Spaniards, 23.1 per cent of the population, smoke every day, according to the most recent figures by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.
The number is not only a challenge for public health systems but also public waste management.
One report by the Catalana Rezero Foundation estimated that local authorities pay between €12 and €21 per citizen per year, for roadside cigarette cleaning. The figure goes up in coastal cities, in particular.
Camille Bello – Euronews.next – 2023-01-12.
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