It is estimated that several trillion cigarette butts are littered worldwide every year. That’s billions of cigarettes flicked, side by side, one at a time, on our sidewalks, beaches, nature trails, gardens, and other public places in each and every single day. In fact, cigarettes are the most littered item in America and the world. Cigarette filters are made of cellulose acetate tow, NOT COTTON, and they can take decades to degrade. Not only does cigarette litter ruin even the most pleasing setting, but the toxic residue in cigarette filters is damaging to the environment, and littered butts cause numerous fires every year, some of them fatal.