|
<br />
<br /> Google Image Result for http://www.longwood.edu/cleanva/images/cigbuttsljpg 3/10/08 2:17 AM
<br />
<br /> How many discarded cigarette butts are there? Trillions. Global tobacco consumption has more than
<br /> doubled in the last 30 years, and world cigarette production reached a record high in 1997 according to the US
<br /> Department of Agriculture (USDA).
<br />
<br /> The USDA estimated that in 1998, 470 billion cigarettes were consumed in the US; world cigarette production
<br /> was 5.608 trillion. The World Health Organization estimates that 1.1 billion people in the world smoke-that is
<br /> one third of all people on earth over the age of 15.
<br />
<br /> The 470 billion cigarettes smoked in the United States in 1998 translates to a total of 176,250,000 pounds of
<br /> discarded butts in one year in the United States alone. The filters from 5.608 trillion cigarettes (approximate
<br /> world production) would weigh more than 2.1 billion pounds (Table 1). This figure does not include the weight
<br /> of the tobacco still attached to the filter, or the packaging, matches, disposable lighters, and other "collateral"
<br /> waste that is generated by smoking.
<br />
<br /> The filters on one pack of 20 cigarettes weigh 0.12 ounces (with no tobacco attached) and displaces a volume
<br /> of 10 ml. With annual worldwide production of cigarettes at 5.608 trillion, the potential weight and volume of
<br /> cigarette butts becomes enormous (Table 1).
<br /> Similarly, cigarette butts take up a large volume of space. If one person smokes a pack and a half a day, he will
<br /> consume more than 10,000 cigarettes in a year. This number of cigarette butts (filters only-not including
<br /> remnant tobacco) will fill a volume of five liters. Worldwide annual consumption of cigarettes creates enough
<br /> cigarette butt waste to fill more than 2,800,000,000 liters (2,800,000 m3).
<br />
<br /> number of filters ounces/pounds milliliters/liters
<br />
<br /> 20(one pack) .12 oz 10 ml
<br /> 10,000(one year's consumption for one 3.75 Ibs 5 liters
<br /> smoker)
<br /> 1,000,000 375 Ibs 500 liters
<br /> 100,000,000 37,500 lbs 50,000 liters
<br /> 10,000,000,000 3,750,000 lbs 5,000,000 liters
<br />
<br /> 465,000,000,000(Number of cigarettes 174,375,000 Ibs 232,500,000
<br /> smoked in the US in 1998) liters
<br /> 1,000,000,000,000 375,000,000 lbs 500,000,000
<br /> liters
<br /> 5,608,000,000,000 2 804,000,000
<br /> 2,103,000,000 Ibs liters
<br /> (1998 world cigarette production)
<br />
<br /> Table 1-Weight and Volume of Discarded Cigarette Filters. The percentage of cigarettes with filters varies,
<br /> depending on the country.
<br />
<br />
<br /> Number of filters
<br /> There is one measure as to how many cigarette butts are finding their way into streams, rivers, and coastal
<br /> environments. The International Coastal Cleanup Day, organized annually by the Center for Marine Conservation,
<br /> involves more than 500,000 volunteers picking up debris from beaches, rivers, and streams around the world.
<br /> [Note: in July 2001, the Center for Marine Conservation changed its name to The Ocean Conservancy.]
<br /> Volunteers complete Marine Debris Data Cards indicating the quantity and type of litter they pick up. Cigarette
<br /> butts were the most common debris item collected during the international cleanup, numbering 1,616,841 in
<br /> 1998. Cigarette butts have topped the list in all CIVIC International Coastal Cleanups since they were added to
<br />
<br /> h"p://Images.googie.com/lmgres?imgurl=http://www.longwood.edu/cl...%3DClgarette%28Lltter%28on%2BBeaches%26um%3D1%26hl%3Deri%26sa%3D% Page 3 of 8
<br />
|