More than 6,600 people were caught littering the streets with cigarette butts in Flanders last year. The Flemish public waste agency OVAM says that cigarette butts are still by far the most common form of litter. OVAM’s Jan Verheyen told VRT News that “The problem is that many smokers still don't see them as litter”.
More than 6,600 Flemings caught dropping litter in 2024, cigarette butts still a big issue
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Radio presenter Joris Brys told the VRT’s consumer affairs podcast ‘Mens erger je niet’ that he is sick and tired of thoughtless smokers discarding their cigarette butts onto the street. He told the podcast that he often talks to smokers about them throwing cigarettes buts onto the ground and the reaction he gets isn’t always amicable. “They also don't always understand what exactly they are doing wrong. I have almost been hit several times, but I can’t resist”.
"Even my most environmentally friendly friends that wouldn’t dream of throwing anything else away throw their cigarette butts onto the ground. But why?” This is something that really gets Joris’ goat.
“Because it bothers me so much, I sometimes do things that are not really ok myself. If I see a driver smoking a cigarette with the window open, I know that he's will to throw it out of the window. I then keep following the driver and as soon as they throw the cigarette out, I start flashing my lights. I also honk my horn and even drive right up to them. Yes, I know, this is extreme.”
A the start of the year Joris was in the Japanese capital Tokyo. “Do you know how many cigarettes butts I saw in the 12 days that I was there? 1! In a city where 14 million people live”.
Litter remains a big issue
Litter remains a big issue in Flanders. OVAM, the Flemish public waste agency invests a great deal effort and cash in public awareness campaigns and clear up initiatives to attempt to keep Flanders tidy.
In 2023 OVAM collected a total of around 6,600 tonnes of litter from Flemish streets. OVAM’s Jan Verheyen told the VRT that “That is a slight downward trend. We are not completely satisfied with that though. We are on our way, but we are not there yet”.
There are also striking figures on the types of litter. “In 2024, 6,609 people were caught red-handed while dropping litter. 93% of these cases involved the cigarette butts. The problem is that many smokers still don't regard throwing away a cigarette butt as dropping litter, while of course, it certainly is.”
Dropping cigarette butts on the ground also harms the environment. "A cigarette contains tar, nicotine and heavy metals and these end up in groundwater, which can cause pollution. Cigarette filters also decompose very slowly. Actually, they never decompose completely: a filter consists of plastics that decompose into microplastics, and these also end up in our environment”
How is the issue of litter being addressed?
The issue of litter is addressed on a daily basis. Nathalie Debast of the Association of Flemish Municipal and City Authorities (VVSG) told VRT News that “Local authorities regular carry out enforcement initiatives involving police officers and community wardens. OVAM itself also has 30 enforcement officers that can support city and municipal authorities. The efforts of volunteers in combating litter are also incredibly valuable”.
Those caught dropping litter can be fined an anti-social behaviour fine of up to 500 euro. The law provides also for the possibility of imposing a stiffer penalty if the same offence is committed again within a period of 2 years. Minors caught littering pay a maximum of 175 euro.
Throwing litter or cigarette butts on the street can cost litter lout money, but it also costs city and municipal authorities handsomely to clean up litter. “Flemish cities and municipalities pay 144 million euros a year to clean up litter. This is money that we would rather use for other useful projects, such as bicycle paths, childcare or residential care centres”, Ms Debast told the VRT.
According to the annual ‘Municipal and City Monitor’, litter is in the top 3 concerns among the general public. The aim is to reduce the amount of litter in our region by 20% by 2030.
Should we let the manufacturers pay?
Why are litter clean-up costs still not recovered from manufacturers “That is obviously what we would prefer to see happen. We would like them to pay the cost of cleaning up bottles, packaging and cigarette butts. This might serve to make them more environmentally friendly when choosing their packaging”.
VVSG has been urging the Flemish government to implement the European Single Use Plastics Directive for some time now. Since January 2023, the directive has obliged producers of beverage packaging to reimburse local authorities for the costs of litter management. It is now to the Flemish government to turn the directive into law.