I smoked for 21 years. I'm sure that will surprise some of you!
I loved smoking. I was addicted, of course, but I also genuinely loved smoking. I loved the smell and taste. I loved the whole ritual. I even rolled my own cigarettes for many of my smoking years.
I decided to quit as a birthday present to myself (inspired by a friend who did the same a year or so before), and after a couple years, I was grateful to be a non-smoker.
I'm not writing this to get anyone to quit (but if you're interested, I wrote a little blog about my experience with quitting smoking here). I'm writing this as a plea for smokers to stop throwing cigarette butts on the ground.
Cigarette filters look like cotton, but they're really made from cellulose acetate - essentially plastic fibers!
They will technically decompose, but it will take anywhere from 4 months to 10 years (yes, that's a huge difference, but the internet is a wild place, and I think the range has to do with brand and conditions).
Even if we take the best case scenario of 4 months, think of how many cigarettes you smoke in 4 months. Think of where you were 4 months ago (around the New Year) and think of how many cigarettes you've smoked since then.
If you throw them on the ground, all of those cigarettes from January *at least* are still on the ground. Or in the river. Or inside some unsuspecting creature.
Instead of throwing cigarette butts on the ground, please consider stubbing them completely and throwing them in the closest trashcan, or get a portable ashtray. You can even reuse an old mint or gum tin. It is super easy habit to create, I swear!
If there is just one eco-friendly change you want to make this year, make the change to stop leaving your cigarette butts on the ground.
Happy Earth Day!
Xo,
Lisa