Cigarette filters, a megapollution that some would like to block at the source

At the Place de la Fontaine des Innocents in Châtelet (Paris), a table equipped with plastic buckets, gloves, and pocket ashtrays serves as a meeting point on Saturday, May 24, for the Mégothon, a cigarette butt collection operation. Tanguy Lahaye, recognizable by his Salvador Dali-esque moustache and his candy-pink T-shirt bearing the logo of the association he represents, World Cleanup Day, welcomes the participants: "We'll give you vests and gloves!" he says.

The Mégothon is a national cigarette butt collection initiative launched in 2023. It is coordinated by seven associations committed to the fight against environmental pollution. The event began on Wednesday, May 21 and runs until Tuesday, May 27, throughout France. It is supported by the eco-organization Alcome, funded by the tobacco industry according to the polluter-pays principle. " The objective is to unite and mobilize all the stakeholders who want to participate, and to raise awareness of the impact of cigarette butts, a highly polluting waste that has no place on public roads , " explains Mr. Lahaye.

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