More than half, or 56 percent, of smokers in Latvia do not care where their cigarette butts end up, representatives of Latvijas Zalais Punkts (Latvian Green Point) informed LETA citing the findings of a survey carried out by online survey panel Snapshots.
About a fifth, or 21 percent, of smokers try to dispose of their cigarette butts the correct way, while 23 percent have no opinion.
The survey shows that smokers most often (69 percent) notice cigarette butts on streets and pavements, 58 percent at public transport stops on the ground, 51 percent in nature, including beaches, parks, forests and others, and 50 percent near trash cans.
The State Environmental Service’s Director General Andris Kenins points out that Latvia is currently introducing a filter management system for tobacco products, which means that manufacturers and distributors of these products will take some responsibility for reducing the environmental impact of littered cigarette butts.
Educating the public is a key priority, says Kenins, also pointing out the importance of recycling.
In order to raise awareness of how smokers dispose of cigarette butts, Latvijas Zalais Punkts is launching a new campaign, “Cigarette Butts – A Ticking Time Bomb”.
The survey was carried out for Latvijas Zalais Punkts by Snapshots in April 2024 by interviewing 714 smokers aged 18 to 74.
Source: BNS
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