Regulating the Disposal of Cigarette Butts as Toxic Hazardous Waste: Replicate Other Hazardous Waste Disposal Protocols or Create a New One?

Discarded cigarette butts contain a number of toxic substances that injure and kill animals when ingested, and that pollute water sources with toxic compounds. Many of the billions of these toxic cigarette butts discarded by smokers in the US each year end up in land fills, waterways and the oceans. States and the federal government have regulated the disposal of other sources of toxic pollution of the environment, such as tires, automotive and household batteries, household chemicals and paints, and electronic devices. The session will explore the pros and cons of adopting a cigarette butt disposal protocol patterned after one or more of these existing disposal protocols, and will review new and novel approaches to regulating the disposal of cigarette butt toxic waste.