On Friday 31st May, GRG volunteers collected approximately 4,500 cigarette butts from areas around the Bridge, St Sampson’s, Guernsey. The event was organised by Pick it Up Guernsey, as part of World No Tobacco Day.

In total, volunteers collected approximately 75,000 cigarette butts!

Cigarette butts contain a plastic called cellulose acetate and cigarette papers, used for roll ups, also contain a plastic called ethylene vinyl acetate. Cigarette ends often get dropped in the street, or directly in the drains, and wash out to sea; contributing to the microplastics in our oceans.

This photo shows the cigarette butts collected by one GRG volunteer at Bordeaux carpark alone, in the space of one hour.