25 September 2025
That this council—
1. Notes that:
(a) of the 17.75 billion cigarettes estimated to be consumed in Australia each year, between 30 to 75 per cent end up as litter;
(b) cigarette waste makes up to 14 per cent of total waste items found during Clean Up Australia Day;
(c) 34 per cent of total litter counted by KESAB is cigarette waste; and
(d) at the Conference of Parties (COP10) in February 2024, the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control has resolved to urge signatories to take action on the environmental impact of cigarette waste.
2. Acknowledges that littered cigarette butts:
(a) contain cellulose acetate and can take 15 years to break down in seawater;
(b) create plastic microfibres as they degrade; and
(c) contain over 7,000 chemicals and one butt can contaminate 40 litres of water.
3. Recognises that:
(a) Spain has introduced regulations to require tobacco companies to pay for the clean-up of cigarettes;
(b) San Francisco collects litter tax from retailers and charges tobacco companies for the cost of cleaning up; and
(c) the New South Wales Environment Protection Authority has initiated consultation on cigarette butts through introducing design standards to design out plastic tobacco filters.
4. Calls on the Malinauskas government to:
(a) take any possible action to ensure the tobacco industry is accountable for the waste they produce; and
(b) raise the matter with the national environment ministers at their next meeting.
The Hon. R.A. SIMMS (22:28): Isn't it nice, we can all be friends again now, a moment of unity, as we all come together to tackle cigarette butt waste. I do want to thank all of the speakers on this bill: the Hon. Sarah Game, the Hon. Russell Wortley, the Hon. Frank Pangallo and the Hon. Jing Lee. I note that the Hon. Connie Bonaros had five words for the Hon. Mr Wortley. I can only say 'thank you' to the honourable member for his contribution. He has set out, I think quite clearly, the rationale for action on this issue, and other speakers have dwelt on that, so I do not need to go into the details in terms of why action on this is required.
I do want to take just a brief moment, though, to acknowledge the leadership of the environment minister, Deputy Premier Susan Close, on this. When I introduced my private member's bill last year, looking at this issue of cigarette butt waste, I reached out to the minister and I have met with her and her office a number of times to talk about this issue.
It is my impression that the minister has a genuine desire to want to do something in this regard. I appreciate the undertaking that has been given to raise this issue at the next national meeting in the hope that we can see a coordinated approach, recognising that this is of course bigger than just South Australia.
I also acknowledge the leadership of both sides of politics here in this state in that regard, in particular the leadership of the former environment minister, the Hon. David Speirs, who did a lot of work in terms of reducing waste. I think it is a credit to South Australia that that work has been undertaken in a bipartisan way. It would be great if we could see South Australia leading the way again in terms of targeting cigarette butts as a significant contributor to waste.
Motion carried.