Cigarette filters second-largest plastic pollutant on Earth: WHO
A WHO report warns that cigarette filters, made of microplastics, specifically cellulose acetate, are the second-largest source of plastic pollution globally. According to the WHO, "Roughly 4.5 trillion cigarette filters pollute our oceans, rivers, city sidewalks, parks, soil, and beaches every year." Discarded cigarette filters may persist in the environment for up to 10 years, the report added.