Smoke-free, but not free of cigarette butts
Since 31 May 2020, smoking is no longer allowed on any area of the VU Campus. However, cleaners still pick up rubbish bags full of cigarette butts regularly. The filters are full of plastic and harmful substances and never fully disappear. We therefore organise a big cleanup on 10 April. The final goal is to create more awareness, which will eventually lead to the prevention of cigarette butts being littered on campus.
Pollution of the environment
Cigarette filters consist mainly of microplastics and hazardous substances. They are not biologically degradable and harmful for the nature and animals that we share our campus with. Most of the cigarette butts end up in nature. This makes the filters the most frequently found litter. When it rains, chemicals from the filters end up in the groundwater. Just one cigarette can pollute up to 1000 litres of water. In this video, artist Thijs Biersteker shows the effect of a littered cigarette on the environment.
Read more about the smoke-free campus.