Cigarette litter is a problem worth tackling
Trash is a problem across New Mexico, whether in cities, along highways or in nature. It’s easy to point fingers at government officials who don’t ensure trash is picked up and garbage cans are emptied frequently — a real problem, especially during this budget crunch — but the root cause is that too many people are lazy.
See if this rings a bell: There are those who litter while walking, tossing a wrapper to the ground instead of pocketing it. If a public trash can is full, rather than lug home a bag of fast-food containers, they are the folks who just pile on until trash spills over. And occasionally, it’s easy to spot the driver who will toss anything — gum, a cup, a bag — out the window and onto the roadway.
This sense of entitlement and carelessness is ruining parks, urban trails and wild lands.
That’s why a new initiative from Keep Santa Fe Beautiful is worth applauding.
It focuses on one kind of trash — cigarette butts.
The most littered item in the United
States, discarded cigarette butts are more than simply unsightly. They cost big bucks for cities and states to gather, making up a third of all collected litter. They’re a fire danger, too. What’s more, chemicals in the butts can pollute water or hurt small animals that eat them.
Filters are a particular problem, according to ocean protection groups such as California’s Surfrider Foundation. Most are made of cellulose acetate, a sort of plastic that breaks down and sends tiny plastic fibers out into the waterways, earth and animals. Those fibers contain arsenic, benzene and lead, among other chemicals.
They are bad for the environment in every way.
Recognizing that, Keep Santa Fe Beautiful has a new initiative — “no ifs, ands or BUTTS” — recognizable by yellow-ish containers being placed all over Santa Fe. Clearly marked, the containers are there for people to use when they are finished smoking. No more tossing the butt to the ground and stomping on it. No worries about a still-smoldering end starting a fire. No hiding it in a planter, likely hurting the plant.
Instead, a smoker can place the cigarette butt in the special container and walk away, conscience clear. The city will look neater. Even better, butts no longer will be on the ground to get washed away and float into storm drains, thus reducing litter and improving water quality.
To make sure the containers are where they will do the most good, Keep Santa Fe Beautiful first surveyed areas around the city to track butt litter. As a result, containers are being placed in problem areas, paid for by a grant from Keep America Beautiful. Keep Santa Fe Beautiful will be tracking the progress.
This latest effort could make all of Santa Fe more aware of the need to stop littering. And awareness is the key to making a difference now, and not just with cigarettes, either. Discarded masks and gloves are showing up all over town, becoming a real problem.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic made it necessary for individuals to wear protective gear, too many people feel free to drop masks and gloves wherever they stand. They litter walking trails, parking lots and sidewalks. It’s important to dispose of them properly, especially because tossed protective gear could present a risk of infection.
Start with cigarette butts. Don’t toss them. Dispose of them. Unlike so many challenges in our world today, reducing cigarette butt litter is a problem we can fix. Given the state of the world, that’s exciting.