Join us and fight against pollution caused by cigarette filters!
The EU will soon evaluate the Single Use Plastic Directive, and it is time for cigarette filters to be added to the blacklist. These filters not only contain microplastics but also thousands of harmful chemicals. They pollute our streets, beaches, forests, rivers, and oceans, causing immense damage to humans, animals, and the environment.
👉 Key facts:
- Every year, 4.5 trillion filters are discarded in the environment worldwide.
- Cigarette filters are globally the #1 item in litter.
- A single filter can pollute up to 1000 liters of water with nicotine, in addition to toxins and microplastics.
- Smoking with a filter is more harmful than without: toxings and microplastics settle deeper in the lungs.
In 2025, we are building a Europe-wide coalition to achieve a ban on cigarette filters. A crucial step in this campaign is to gather solid evidence through large-scale monitoring across the EU..
Monitoring in short:
- Duration: 6 weeks
- Frequency: Once a week
- Time commitment: About 20 minutes per location
- Method: Each measurement covers 100 m2, at pre-selected hotspot locations among which schools, bus stops or beaches.
- App: Using the GoClean app, each cigarette filter is photographed individually and uploaded as data.
- Period in EU-countries: 20 October – 30 November 2025
- Details: After registration, participants receive full instructions and more information about the measurement sites.
European policy context
The results of this monitoring will be used to inform Members of the European Parliament and officials at the European Commission during the upcoming ‘Call for Evidence’ for the revision of the SUPD. The public consultation is expected in Q4 2025.
🚀 Join us!
You can register for the monitoring via the form below.
Together, we can end the cigarette filter and make Europe cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable.