The city of Baltimore is suing several major tobacco companies, demanding up to $5 million per year to fund the cleaning of cigarette butt litter.
City government officials stated that over 12 million cigarette butts have been cleaned up from the waters surrounding Baltimore since 2014.
James Shea, a lawyer in Baltimore, stated that there are various cleaning issues, ranging from picking up cigarette butts to removing the chemicals they leave behind.
The lawsuit alleges that tobacco companies have refused to place warning labels on packaging on how to properly dispose of cigarette filters, and have chosen not to make filters biodegradable.
Shea said that based on the documents they have seen, the company did not switch to biodegradable filters because smokers prefer the suction devices that come with the filters.
Shea stated that the ultimate goal is to make these companies more environmentally friendly. "We hope to put an end to these practices, but at the same time, we want compensation for the costs of cleanup and fines related to violating various waste regulations." These companies have 30 days to respond in court.
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