Opinion

Last week, the Council of Ministers of the Government of Spain approved a Royal Decree for the management of tobacco filter waste promoted by the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (MITECO). The regulation introduces innovative measures to combat pollution caused by tobacco filter waste, one of the biggest urban waste problems. It seeks to make both local authorities and tobacco producers take greater responsibility for the management and prevention of this type of waste.

These are the main novelties:

• Restrictions on smoking on beaches: municipalities may prohibit smoking on beaches by municipal ordinances, and penalize those who do not respect this rule under Law 7/2022 on waste and contaminated soils for a circular economy.

• Plastic reduction and eco-design programs: from 2030, companies accounting for more than 2.5% of total tobacco production must develop programs to reduce plastic in filters and prevent its abandonment in the environment.

• Identification of dumping points: the places where this waste accumulates, both in public and private areas, should be detected and mapped.

• Recycling infrastructure: over the next five years, specific containers for cigarette butt collection will be implemented in public waste collection systems.

• Collection and design goals: specific objectives and filter design criteria will be established to promote adequate collection, based on technical studies.

• Registration of producers: companies that produce tobacco must register and report annually their production and waste management.

• Financial responsibility of manufacturers: tobacco companies will finance the costs of clean-up, treatment and awareness-raising related to cigarette butts discarded by consumers.

Is it enough for producers to pay?

The royal decree represents a positive step forward in the fight against cigarette butt waste, a particularly serious problem on coasts and in natural environments. The new regulation adopts the "polluter pays" principle, requiring tobacco manufacturers to bear the cost of the collection and treatment of this waste.

However, for the measure to be truly effective, a number of challenges will have to be overcome. In addition to those already mentioned in the regulation, these include the need for effective coordination between administrations to ensure uniform application of the regulations, as well as a rigorous system of supervision and control with clear sanctions for cases of non-compliance.

Cigarette butts are a very common and persistent waste; every year billions of cigarettes are smoked around the world, making them one of the most common residues in streets, beaches and parks. These contain cellulose acetate, a material that can take up to ten years to decompose and releases toxic substances into the environment, seriously affecting fauna and flora. The decree introduces the so-called "extended producer responsibility" (EPR), which obliges tobacco companies to pay for the management of this waste, assuming part of the environmental impact generated by their products.

However, its effectiveness will depend on how the provisions of the decree are implemented and monitored. Although producers are obliged to finance the cleanup, no clear sanctions are established for non-compliance and no precise control mechanisms are detailed. In addition, enforcement is left to the autonomous communities, which could lead to differences in application and make monitoring difficult.

This article was originally published in The Conversation. Read the original.