Bag the Butts
FREE Bag the Butts™ Toolkits Available!
Breathe New Hampshire’s annual Bag the Butts™ is a year-round statewide initiative that raises awareness about the environmental impact of cigarette litter and provides education on the risks associated with tobacco use disorder.
You can Bag the Butts™ by organizing a clean-up in your yard, neighborhood, school or community and following these easy steps:
- Select a location
- Schedule your date
- Recruit volunteers
- Contact us for your FREE Bag the Butts™ toolkit prior to your clean-up event.
- Refer to the recycling guidelines in the toolkit so the collected cigarette litter doesn't go to a landfill.
- Take photos and share with us at: info@BreatheNH.org or tag us on social media.
- Post event: RECYCLE your collected cigarette litter. Contact us to request the shipping label.
NOTE: Electronic vapor products/vape disposal: contact your local transfer station regarding proper disposal of household hazardous materials.
Breathe New Hampshire is not responsible for organizing or overseeing the community clean-ups. Local groups and organizations are responsible for supervising youth and adults participating in their community clean-ups.
Contact us at info@BreatheNH.org or call 603.669.2411 to request free Bag the Butts™ toolkits!
Thank you to North Shore Community College Respiratory Therapy students that collected cigarette waste this fall for their Service Learning Project as part of Breathe New Hampshire’s Bag the Butts™ program.
Why Should We Bag the Butts?
- 98% of all cigarette filters are made of very thin plastic fibers, called cellulose acetate.
- Under optimal conditions, cigarette filters can take 9 months to many years to decompose, breakdown or degrade.
- Cigarette butts are one of the most littered item on earth.
- Cigarette butts have been found in the stomachs of fish, whales, birds & other marine animals.
- Toxic chemicals, such as cadmium, lead & arsenic can leach from cigarette butts into the water and soil.
- Discarded cigarette butts can start forest fires.
- Cigarette butts are small enough to be eaten by children and small animals.
Cigarette butts remain one of the world’s greatest environmental litter problems, taking up to 10
years to decompose and leaching toxins into the ground and water. Breathe New Hampshire's Bag the Butts™ program has been promoting state-wide community clean-ups for over 10 years to raise awareness of the environmental impact of cigarette litter while educating people on the risks associated with tobacco use.
Tobacco use is not only a health issue - it is also an environmental issue. Click on Tobacco and the Environment to learn more.
