SACRAMENTO — State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara)’s legislation to combat tobacco waste by establishing a comprehensive tobacco waste reduction program passed out of the Senate Environmental Quality Committee today on a 5 to 1 vote. Cigarette butts are the most common litter item found on beaches and roadsides, amounting to over a third of total waste found during coastal cleanup events.
Senate Bill 424 addresses tobacco waste by banning the sale of single-use tobacco products and requiring multi-use tobacco products to be recyclable or collected for take-back by tobacco product manufacturers. Under the bill, manufacturers may form a stewardship organization to take-back non-recyclable multi-use tobacco products.
“Tobacco waste is the number one source of ocean trash and leaks toxic chemicals that are harmful to our ecosystems and wildlife. It is time for the tobacco industry to take responsibility for the lifecycle of their products and do their part to reduce their environmental impacts,” said Senator Jackson.
Tobacco and tobacco-laden components leach toxic chemicals—including arsenic, lead, and nicotine—into the environment when improperly disposed. These compounds are especially pernicious in waterways, where small amounts can result in wildlife impairment and mortality. These compounds are also hazardous to children and pets when ingested or handled.
The cost borne by local and state agencies from dealing with tobacco product waste is sizeable, with annual estimates in the tens of millions per large municipality. In 2009, San Francisco spent nearly $10 million on cigarette butt cleanup alone. Municipalities out of compliance with water quality laws due to tobacco litter also pay millions for violations and costs to clean.
SB 424 is sponsored by the National Stewardship Action Council. “The Senate took an important step toward reducing California’s number one litter problem — tobacco waste. SB 424 requires tobacco companies which make millions in profits to contribute to solving expensive waste management and litter problems that their products create. We believe this is a fair policy approach for cigarette and vaping waste,” said Heidi Sanborn, Founder and Executive Director of National Stewardship Action Council.
Jackson represents the 19th Senate District, which includes all of Santa Barbara County and western Ventura County.