TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Zero Waste Indonesia Alliance, together with Lentera Anak, criticizes the national policy that has not yet accommodated the danger of cigarette butt waste, which has become a significant source of microplastic pollution and hazardous chemicals in Indonesia. This spotlight is also the main theme in a public discussion titled “Jejak Sampah Rokok di Tiap Langkah: Menagih Akuntabilitas Industri” (Tracing Cigarette Butt Waste Every Step of the Way: Holding the Industry Accountable), held online on Monday, November 17, 2025.
The discussion revealed the results of a brand audit by Lentera Anak in the Greater Jakarta area, which recorded 18,062 cigarette wastes, 93 percent of which were butts, originating from six largest national manufacturers. Prior to the brand audit, the collection of cigarette wastes involved 275 volunteers in five regions of the Greater Jakarta area. They targeted public areas covering an area of 67,204 square meters, including sidewalks, bus stops, stations, terminals, areas around schools, and parks, over a span of 19 hours. An average density of 4 cigarette butts per square meter was found. In 100 square meters, 400 butts and 10 cigarette waste packaging could be found.
According to the Campaign Coordinator of Lentera Anak, Effie Herdi, the findings confirm the large contribution of the cigarette industry to plastic pollution, microplastics, and toxic contaminants in public spaces. She emphasizes the need for a firm government action to implement the Polluter Pays principle to ensure that the cigarette industry bears the cost of cleaning, environmental restoration, and ecological impacts of its products.
"Furthermore, the issue of cigarette waste must be immediately included in the National Action Plan for Waste Management and public health policies as part of the efforts to systematically control plastic pollution," said Effie.
Effie revealed that based on global data from the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are discarded annually, making it the most common plastic waste in the world and contributing 30-40 percent to coastal waste. It is estimated that Indonesia, with a consumption of 322 billion cigarette sticks per year, produces more than 100,000 tons of butts annually, making it a primary source of unregulated plastic and toxic pollution in the country.
Furthermore, there is a study by the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) showing an average of 1 butt per square meter on 18 Indonesian beaches. While Zhao & You note that Indonesia has the highest microplastic consumption rate in the world, some of which originate from the marine food chain contaminated by cigarette butts. Data from the Ocean Conservancy (2022-2024) also indicates a sharp increase in the number of cigarette butts found on beaches worldwide, from 1.1 million to 1.9 million in two years, due to weak regulations and the absence of accountability in the cigarette industry.
No Cigarette Butt Pollution Regulations Yet
Although various scientific studies state that cigarette butts contain toxic substances and heavy metals, there is still no national regulation categorizing them as hazardous and toxic waste (B3). Effie, from the Ministry of Environment, revealed that cigarette butts are still classified as household waste, hence the burden of cleaning is entirely borne by the public and local government.
In line with the WHO's 2019 findings and the UN Environment Program (UNEP) in 2024, the burden of tobacco pollution is systemic and must be addressed at the producer level. 'Cigarette butt pollution is a daily phenomenon in urban public spaces that occurs systematically and extensively,' said Effie while adding, 'This pollution is not due to individual behavior, but a structural consequence of product design and the absence of regulation.'
Researcher at the BRIN Oceanography Research Center, Muhammad Reza Cordova, said the BRIN research results in 18 Indonesian beaches from February 2018 to December 2019 showed cigarette butt waste ranked eighth with a proportion of 6.47 percent. 'One cigarette butt is found per square meter of beach,' he said.
How Do Cigarette Butts Become Hazardous?
According to Reza, this situation is very concerning because he agrees that cigarette butts are toxic waste and the damage they cause is very dangerous. First, he explained that cigarette filters made of cellulose acetate are difficult to decompose and have the potential to become microplastics in the environment over the long term.
Secondly, cigarette butts are toxic waste containing nicotine, heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Ni, As), and other toxic compounds that can contaminate marine organisms. Thirdly, the health risks to humans, such as bioaccumulation and the transfer of contaminants through the marine food chain, increase the risk of exposure to humans, especially coastal communities. "Of all these factors, cigarette butts are very suitable to be categorized as B3 waste because they have an impact on ecosystem and human health," said Reza.
EPR Feared to be Just Greenwashing
Fajri Fadhillah, Senior Regional Campaign Strategist at Greenpeace Southeast Asia, believes that environmental injustice has occurred because the cost of cleaning up cigarette butts is borne by the public and government, while the industry profits from selling products that produce toxic waste. He reminded that every party whose activities cause pollution and environmental damage must bear the cost of environmental restoration.
'The cigarette industry has created pollution so they must pay for its handling. Therefore, the government should implement the Polluter Pays Principle to ensure that the cigarette industry bears the cost of the pollution they have created,' said Fajri.
According to Fajri, the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme is not relevant for tobacco products because it is at risk of being used as a form of greenwashing. "Tobacco products are addictive, toxic, and not beneficial, so the EPR approach is at risk of becoming a form of greenwashing and does not reduce consumption," said Fajri.
His statement is similar to that of Mary Assunta, Senior Policy Advisor at SEATCA. She stated that in several countries, cigarette companies engage in corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities as a form of greenwashing. For example, the tobacco industry mobilizes young people to collect waste on World Environment Day. "They are proud to do this as if they have made a positive contribution to society, whereas in fact, they are only covering up the negative impact of cigarettes and cigarette butt waste," said Mary.
She added that the cigarette product design gives a false impression that cigarette filters are safe, whereas the risk to the lungs is more aggressive. Cigarettes containing toxic substances also cannot be recycled. Overall, according to Mary, the tobacco industry does not have any benefits throughout its entire ecosystem, from cultivation to trade, consumption, and cigarette butt waste.
Daru Setyorini, a member of AZWI and Executive Director of ECOTON, believes that as long as cigarette filters are continually produced and disposed of in the environment, claims of environmental care from the tobacco industry are a denial of the fact that they are the main source of plastic waste crisis. Therefore, she suggested that the government ensure that producer accountability mechanisms are binding and require all producers to be responsible for the prevention and handling of product and packaging waste.
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