Museum of Litter

Why do you Litter?

"Why do you litter?" I asked, from across the table.

A few minutes before, I was about to enter a restaurant, with two others, when one in our party, a relative I'll just call Paul, pitched the remains of his cigarette to the curb. I laughed, saying, "Sorry, I'll have to give you one of these," as I handed him a 'Thank You for Your Donation' card from the Museum of Litter.

As we were seated waiting for the waitress, Paul looked over the card which, on the back, informs a litterer how long it takes commonly littered items to decompose.

I asked Paul, "Can I ask you why you litter? When I see people litter, I always wonder what they're thinking. I'd really like to know."

"To tell you the truth," he volunteered, " I don't really litter. I keep everything in my van and throw it out once a week. I only toss cigarette butts. I'll tell you why. It probably sounds strange coming from someone who likes to smoke, but the butts stink and I don't want to smell up my van."

I told Paul I could understand his reasoning and offered my mother's solution. In her car, she put out her cigarettes in a plastic cup filled with baking soda. That eliminated odor in her car until she could throw the butts out in a trash can.

We talked a little more about where cigarette butts end up, in the storm drains, the water supply, the ocean, ingested by fish, fowl and turtles. Paul knew the filters contained plastic but had never thought about what happened to the butts once they left his hand. He freely admitted, "I guess it's really selfish of me just being concerned about myself and the smell in my van."

That didn't stop Paul from littering a couple of more times in my presence. He's been smoking since he was nine so the habit is automatic. However, he did it with a self conscious laugh that shows at least he's catching himself thinking about it. It's Paul's choice, but at least now he'll make it consciously.

Thank you, Paul, for having that honest conversation about littering. If more of us could have that conversation we could quickly find a way that would work for smokers and the environment.

Is a Cigar Butt Litter?

The Museum of Litter was part of the local Art & Craft Show last weekend in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. As I stood in front of our booth I saw a man pitch the remnants of his cigar into a mulched area of landscaped greenery. I caught up with him, thanked him, and handed him one of the museum's 'thank you for your donation' cards. He watched me as I walked to the cigar, extinguished it with my shoe and took the butt back to my booth.

A few minutes later he approached briskly informing me, "First of all I probably do as much as anyone for the environment! I am out there on the water picking up trash all the time."  "That's great!" I told him.  "Second of all," he continued, "a cigar has no filter. It's wrapped only in a natural tobacco leaf. It is not litter. So," he said pushing the card at me while turning to leave, "you can have this back." And he was gone.

Obviously he didn't want to have a discussion. He strongly believes his spent cigar is not litter. He does bring up a good point. I appreciate and agree that something biodegradable(cigars, apple cores) shouldn't end up in a plastic lined garbage can that will delay the organic substance to return to the earth. Yet. it seems to me an eyesore in the shrubbery is still litter. 

It brings up a lot of questions. Does he think cigar butts can be throw down anywhere outside or only on the ground. Would he throw it on the beach? What about birds and other creatures ingesting it? Are there any chemicals in the tobacco? Could the lit end create fire in the mulch or a wooded area? Does it give others a bad example and an excuse to also litter? I'm sure you can think of even more questions.

I mentioned this encounter to an environmental friend who unbeknown to me is a cigar  aficionado. He said when he's outside and unable to dispose of a cigar properly he removes the paper ring then tears the cigar into tiny bits to aid in it's decomposition and make it invisible.

So, what's the answer?   Is a cigar butt litter? Does it belong in sight while decomposing? What is the proper way to dispose of a cigar? What do you think? Would love your comments, please.