From support to legislation
An increasing number of people and organisations are raising concerns about plastic cigarette filter pollution. Many are realizing that awareness campaigns and cleanups alone won’t solve the problem. The No Plastic Filter-campaign unites the global movement calling for action at the source: stopping plastic cigarette filters altogether. With international support, the campaign urges politicians and policymakers around the world to implement a ban.
Your support is essential
We can only achieve our goal with your support for the call. Your joint support, as persons and organisations/initiatives is used to:
- Build a visible support base on this platform, using the world map and an overview of supporting organisations
- Convince more people and organisations/initiatives to support the call
- Strengthen our advocacy efforts towards (inter)national politicians and governments
Strategy to reach our goal
- Generating and bringing together global support for our call, through (online) communication and supporting actions like ‘No Butts Day’ and cigarette filter monitoring
- Knowledge sharing & awareness raising
- Creating manifests with businesses, scientists and (local) governments
- Supporting politicians and governments to implement the ban
Legislative opportunities
Europe: Single-Use Plastics Directive
In 2025-2026 the European Union is evaluating the Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD). Other single-use plastic items that were littered in large numbers were banned already. Why not add the plastic cigarette filters to the list? Public consultation is expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2025. The SUPD is our main focus: the time is now!
United Nations: Global Plastics Treaty
The United Nations are currently negotiating the Global Plastics Treaty (GPT), a legally binding commitment to reduce the impact of plastics, from extraction to end-of-life. A ban on plastic cigarette filters in the GPT would mean a world almost entirely free of toxic cigarette filter pollution!
National: the Netherlands
Following a campaign by the Cigarette Butt Collective (Plastic Peuken Collectief) the Dutch parliament voted for a national ban on plastic cigarette filters in 2023, leading the government to conduct research into the legal and technical possibility of such a ban. The results of a second study are expected by the end of 2025. The environment minister has also pledged to put a ban on cigarette filters on the agenda when Europe reviews its Single-Use Plastics Directive.
Are you aware of any other legislative opportunity to implement a ban? Let us know!
Timeline
Who’s behind this campaign?
The No Plastic Filter-campaign is an initiative by Dutch-based NGO Fair Resource Foundation.
Fair Resource Foundation is part of the Dutch Plastic Cigarette Butt Collective (Plastic Peuken Collectief), a group of NGOs and volunteers which runs a similar campaign in the Netherlands. Members: North Sea Foundation, Het Peukenmeisje, GoClean, Zwerfie Rotterdam and Plandelman.
This campaign is made possible by:
