DOWN TO BUSINESS - Take a guess on the most-littered single-use plastic item in the world.
It’s not the water bottle or the take-out bag but the cigarette butt, which has tiny plastic fibers in the filter.
That’s according to oft-quoted data from the United Nations Environment Programme, which also lists the bottle and bag as among other top discarded single-use plastic, along with food wrappers, bottle caps, straws and stirrers.
And considering that an estimated 15 billion cigarettes are sold daily worldwide, it’s understandable why butts would lead the pack.
Why my deep dive into tobacco waste?
Next week, Altria Group, which owns cigarette giant Philip Morris USA, producer of Marlboro, Virginia Slims and other brands, faces a shareholder resolution at its annual meeting that asks the company to take a look at the financial and reputational risk of all those butts.
Specifically, As You Sow, a shareholder advisory group focused on sustainability, wants Altria to evaluate how it might contribute financially to cigarette-filter cleanup efforts while also planning for eventual widespread U.S. adoption of so-called extended producer responsibility laws, which see a disposal role for companies in the products they’ve previously put into the marketplace.
Such laws for the plastic in cigarette filters already exist in the European Union, where tobacco producers must cover the costs of collecting and processing butts, according to the group.
“Until North America catches up to Europe and passes EPR for tobacco-filter legislation, the industry can address this growing problem by setting aside billions of dollars annually to voluntarily support ongoing state and municipal cigarette-filter cleanup efforts,” Conrad MacKerron, senior vice president at As You Sow, stated in a news release when the shareholder proposal was sent to Altria.
Not surprisingly, Altria is urging shareholders to reject it.
The company, which also produces machine-made cigars, pipe tobacco and e-vapor products, included the resolution in materials sent to shareholders for the May 16 annual meeting.
“We do not believe publishing the report requested by the proponent is a good use of company resources,” Altria’s opposition states. “We are confident such a report would conclude that EPR laws for spent tobacco (cigarette) filters would not benefit Altria.”
According to the company, no commercially available filter alternatives currently exist, and if they did, they’d have to go through a typically lengthy and costly review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which regulates tobacco products, before being put to use.
“Given these supply chain and stringent regulatory limitations, EPR laws requiring changes to cigarette filters would, in effect, create a de facto product ban on cigarettes,” Altria says.
As You Sow published an extended memo on the proposal that also addresses Altria’s objections, urging the company to get ahead of inevitable laws targeting butt litter.
“By taking voluntary actions now, Altria can reduce future compliance costs and even potentially head off more significant litigation and legislation,” the group says.
Marlene Kennedy is a freelance columnist. Opinions expressed in her column are her own and not necessarily the newspaper’s. Reach her at marlenejkennedy@gmail.com.
Tobacco giant faces shareholders' vote on risks of cigarette litter: Down to Business
51
0
12.05.2024
DOWN TO BUSINESS - Take a guess on the most-littered single-use plastic item in the world.
It’s not the water bottle or the take-out bag but the cigarette butt, which has tiny plastic fibers in the filter.
That’s according to oft-quoted data from the United Nations Environment Programme, which also lists the bottle and bag as among other top discarded single-use plastic, along with food wrappers, bottle caps, straws and stirrers.
And considering that an estimated 15 billion cigarettes are sold daily worldwide, it’s understandable why butts would lead the pack.
Why my deep dive into tobacco waste?
Next week, Altria Group, which owns cigarette giant Philip Morris USA, producer of Marlboro, Virginia Slims and other brands, faces a shareholder resolution at its annual meeting that asks the company to take a look at the........
© The Leader Herald
visit website
login
who are we?
contact us
qosheapp
Toi Staff
Gideon Levy
Belen Fernandez
Tarik Cyril Amar
Rami G Khouri
Dr Ramzy Baroud
Mort Laitner
Petra Lesjak Tušek
Bradley Blankenship
