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04/03/2008: "One At A Time"

One at a Time … One on One

(Found on only one stretch of one island road)

By Marcy Hahn

So often social issues are addressed to the masses through ads and letters to the editor. I’ve come to the conclusion that perhaps the issue of improper disposal of cigarette butts needs to be broached one smoker at a time, one on one.

On a recent weekend, while waiting for the ferry in Anacortes, I observed a bearded gentleman in a gray sedan (you know who you are) smoking and flicking cigarette ashes out the window. I continued to watch because I guessed he would be dropping the butt on the ground below - I was correct. I sat a few minutes and the more I thought about it, the more incensed I became about his behavior.



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Deciding to be a champion for the anti-litter campaign, I went up to his car, knocked on the window and informed him that he had dropped something. Actually he had dropped not just one butt, but three. He agreed he had. My response was: “In Friday Harbor we have an anti-litter campaign. I live there and would appreciate it if you didn’t drop your cigarette butts on the ground.” With that, he rolled up his window and I walked away feeling better for having said my piece, but I doubt that I made much headway with him.

But that wasn’t the only “teaching” opportunity I had. When I got to Friday Harbor, I made a quick stop at a store and the sales person was smoking outside. When she saw me coming, she hurriedly extinguished her cigarette, tossed it toward the storm drain and went inside to meet me.

With her I took a softer approach. I asked if she knew that it took years and years for a filter tip to break down. She was most receptive and said she wished there were a cigarette receptacle outside her building. I think she truly listened and I applaud her for that, although I hope the next time she will realize that the absence of a receptacle is an unacceptable excuse for throwing her butts onto the ground.

The facts:

1. Traditional butts made of “synthetic polymer cellulose acetate” will never degrade and merely break down into smaller parts after roughly 12 years.
2. New butts made of food grade starch decompose within two months, but only if in contact with a micro-organism rich compost environment.
3. Butts that are dropped into storm drains (or are washed there after being dropped onto a sidewalk or gutter) can begin leaching chemicals such as cadmium, lead and arsenic into the marine environment within an hour of contact with water. These chemicals can end up in the intestines of fish, whales, birds and other marine animals.

My guess is that many smokers who drop their butts on the ground wouldn’t dream of doing the same thing with a candy wrapper or soda can. Perhaps they never think of their butts as “litter” that can have a negative impact on our environment.

Please join me in trying to deal with the problem of carelessly discarded butts -- one at a time, one on one. When you notice someone dropping a butt on a roadside or beach, try approaching the person with a gentle “did you know?” conversation, telling them about the damage improperly disposed of cigarettes can cause.

The upcoming Earth Day reminds us that our environment needs protecting. Perhaps our individual efforts, taken together, will in fact make an important difference.

(Marcy Hahn is a member of the Trash Masters Litter Clean-Up Group on San Juan Island)