40 billion cigarette butts are thrown away every year
With nearly 40 billion cigarette butts discarded each year in France, they have become public enemy number one when it comes to urban cleanliness. Since 2021, local authorities have had a regulatory framework and funding to organize their collection . In this article, we will attempt to summarize and detail the legal requirements and the solutions available to address them.
A tiny piece of waste, a colossal impact
Even though the number of smokers has decreased considerably and smoking is heavily regulated in enclosed public spaces, outdoor areas remain where many smokers go for a cigarette break. Whether in a restaurant, meeting room, hotel, or community setting, smokers need to be offered suitable solutions.
A single cigarette butt can pollute up to 500 liters of water and takes more than ten years to decompose in nature. Plastic (cellulose acetate), nicotine, heavy metals: the filter concentrates a significant portion of tobacco's toxic substances. Discarded on the ground, it most often ends up in storm drains, then in rivers and oceans.
For businesses, restaurants, hotels, and local authorities, the issue is twofold: health and aesthetics. The visible presence of cigarette butts in a street degrades the perception of overall cleanliness, with a knock-on effect on other forms of antisocial behavior (illegal dumping, littering, etc.).
What the regulations say
The AGEC law and the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme for cigarette butts
The Anti-Waste and Circular Economy Law (AGEC) of February 10, 2020, established an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme specifically for tobacco products. Operational since 2021, it is managed by the eco-organization Alcome. Its objective: to reduce the presence of cigarette butts in public spaces by 40% by 2027.
In practice, Alcome signs contracts with municipalities of more than 5,000 inhabitants and provides them with financial support calculated on a fixed scale. In return, the local authority commits to implementing an action plan: installation of ashtrays, awareness campaigns, targeted litter collection.
The specific obligations
• Include cigarette butt collection in the municipal cleanliness plan.
• Equip sensitive areas (bus stops, exits of bars and high schools, terraces) with ashtrays.
• Raise awareness among smokers through clear signage.
• Report on its actions to the eco-organization.
What equipment is needed for effective collection?
Outdoor ashtrays: prevention first
A cigarette butt placed in an ashtray is a cigarette butt that will never have to be picked up from the ground. Professional outdoor ashtrays are available in wall-mounted, freestanding, or integrated models. Opt for models with a removable bin for easy emptying and vandal-resistant models for sensitive areas. Voussert offers a wide range of products manufactured directly in its factories and, through its partnership with Rossignol, also offers products made in France. This allows you to find options that fit your budget.
The litter picker: an irreplaceable tool
For picking up cigarette butts already on the ground, nothing beats a fine-nosed grabber . Choose a model with a precise, rubberized jaw capable of gripping objects just a few millimeters in size. The Unger NiftyNabber Pro models are often cited as a benchmark by street cleaning crews for their precision and robustness. The Unger brand remains a benchmark, even though we also manufacture high-quality products in Asia at unbeatable prices, starting at less than €9 excluding VAT per unit.
Field tip: a length of 82 to 96 cm offers the best compromise between precision and back comfort. Longer models (115 cm and above) are useful for flowerbeds or verges.
Complementary solutions
Some municipalities are also investing in electric street sweepers specifically designed for cigarette butts. Effective in high-density areas (squares, plazas), they remain expensive and require rigorous maintenance. For most collection routes, the grabber and bag remain the most practical solution.
Consider using collection bags : improperly extinguished cigarette butts can cause fires in thin plastic bags. Reinforced or fire-resistant bags are a plus, and some manufacturers even offer ashtrays with a built-in fire-resistant bag for collection.
The street trolley, whose architecture is intended for collecting waste in urban spaces, parks and gardens, streets and surrounding areas such as shopping center parking lots, is a complete solution for collecting waste and therefore cigarette butts.
Organize a cleanup operation
Daily collection of cigarette butts
Incorporate cigarette butt collection into regular street sweeping routes. A team of two agents equipped with a grabber, shovel, and bag can treat a one-kilometer shopping street in about an hour, depending on the density.
One-off waste collection operations
World Cleanup Days, city clean-up operations, and community clean-up days are an opportunity to involve residents, schools, and associations. Lending grabbers to participants amplifies the effect: everyone, grabber in hand, realizes the scale of the problem. Make sure you have a supply of sturdy grabbers that can be passed around without getting damaged.
Communicating on the subject: a way to change behaviors
Simply collecting litter isn't enough: communication is key to changing behavior. Humorous signs, ground markings, and playful ashtrays like "Vote for your favorite team" are just some of the ways the most innovative communities are reducing cigarette butts on the ground by 20 to 40% through communication alone. Equipment is only one link in the chain.
involve the shopkeepers and the landlords
The law assigns responsibility for public spaces to municipalities, but businesses and landlords share responsibility for cleanliness in front of their establishments. Many towns and cities now sign cleanliness charters with businesses: commitments to install ashtrays, clean their storefronts daily, and raise customer awareness. In return, the municipality often provides ashtrays and a basic cleaning kit.
For condominiums and social housing providers, cigarette butts thrown from windows and balconies are a recurring problem. Equipping concierges and caretakers with professional tongs significantly speeds up daily interventions and prevents the accumulation that can lead to a lobby or courtyard becoming perceived unsanitary.
Track and measure: the essential dashboard
To justify Alcome's financial support and prioritize its collection routes, a local authority should quantify its actions. The most useful indicators include: the number of cigarette butts collected per route (weighed or counted by sample), the density of cigarette butts observed per street during quarterly assessments, the number of ashtrays installed, and their fill levels. This data helps identify priority areas and measure the impact of communication campaigns.
Some field applications allow agents to geolocate problem areas directly on their smartphones, with supporting photos. The tool then guides their routes to maximize efficiency.
In summary
• A regulatory framework (AGEC law, REP Alcome) that finances and mandates.
• Simple but demanding equipment: ashtrays, precise tongs, suitable bags.
• A two-stage organization: prevention + collection.
• Communication is essential to change behaviors.
• A partnership with retailers, landlords and associations.
• A dashboard to manage and justify actions.
To equip your staff or volunteers, explore our selection of waste collection equipment and professional litter pickers. Our teams can also assist you in preparing tender documents and Alcome contracts.
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