More than half a million cigarette butts picked up in two weeks
No butts: Most people are not aware that cigarette butts are made of plastic and are toxic, said NGO stop2drop
Keystone / Leandre Duggan
Around 540,000 cigarette butts have been collected in Switzerland over the past fortnight by volunteers. Almost 2,900 children and adults from 21 cantons took part in the campaign organised by NGO stop2drop.
This content was published on
1 minute
Keystone-SDA/ts
Español
es
Más de medio millón de colillas recogidas en dos semanas
With the national cigarette butt collection campaign stop2dropExternal link is trying to change people’s attitudes, it said in a statement on Tuesday. Most people are not aware that cigarette butts are made of plastic and are toxic. Their removal from the environment is extremely costly and energy-intensive, it said.
Stop2drop is demanding that the tobacco industry pay for the environmental damage and that politicians do something about the “mountain of toxic waste”.
Today, 75% of all cigarette butts end up in nature – some 4.5 trillion cigarette filters a year worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). They are among the ten most common plastics in the world’s oceans.
Rain and snow dissolve the toxic substances from the filters, which then pollute water sources, stop2drop said. It added that carelessly discarded cigarette butts continue to pollute nature as harmful microplastics for hundreds of years. The roughly 7,000 chemicals contained in a single stub endanger plants, humans and animals, it said.
According to stop2drop, municipalities in Switzerland spend CHF52 million ($57 million) a year on the removal of cigarette litter alone.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Ex-employee of Bank Pictet convicted of money laundering
This content was published on
The Geneva-based bank Pictet has been fined CHF2 million for shortcomings in its organisation which enabled a former asset manager to commit serious money laundering.
20 Minuten: last Swiss free daily to stop being printed
This content was published on
From the end of the year, there will no longer be a daily free newspaper in Switzerland: the TX Group is discontinuing the print version of "20 Minuten". Up to 80 full-time positions are to be cut in the editorial and publishing departments.
This content was published on
The Swiss population is in favour of compulsory military service and closer ties with NATO. These are the findings of the "Security 2025" study.
Irregular migration to Switzerland halves year-on-year
This content was published on
Irregular migration to Switzerland has decreased significantly. The figures from January to May show that only half as many illegal stays were recorded compared to the same period last year.
This content was published on
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is to cut around 3,500 jobs as a result of financial cuts linked in particular to US decisions. Hundreds of temporary contracts will also be cut, the UN agency said in Geneva on Monday.
Swiss government to help cantons in expelling rejected asylum-seekers
This content was published on
The federal government is to provide greater relief and support to the cantons when it comes to deporting people who are not entitled to asylum in Switzerland.
This content was published on
One in four people in Switzerland feels stressed often or almost always. Among the under-30s, the figure is as high as 40%.
This content was published on
The permafrost in the Swiss Alps is thawing faster and faster. The thawed top layers of permafrost have never been as thick as they were last year. This is shown by the latest data from the Swiss permafrost monitoring network Permos.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
100 tons of cigarette butts litter Swiss train platforms every year
This content was published on
The information, obtained from internal documents and published by paper SonntagsBlick on Sunday, was confirmed by the railway company. The paper also revealed that 1,200 personnel are charged with keeping the platforms tidy daily throughout the country. Part of their job is to empty the 6,371 dedicated cigarette ash and butt disposal bins installed on…
This content was published on
Geneva could become the cleanest city in the world, resident Vijay Raju argues, if smokers would dispose of their butts properly.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.