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Authorities in several major European cities, including Brussels, Munich, Dublin, and Genoa, have proposed a ban on the sale of filter cigarettes throughout the European Union. The reason is widespread environmental pollution from plastic cigarette butts and the significant costs municipalities incur to clean the streets, according to a November 12, 2026, article by Politico.
The cities have joined the international “No (Plastic) Filter” campaign, which is supported by the Dutch government, the municipality of The Hague, environmental organizations, and water management agencies. The initiative’s participants aim to secure a complete ban on cigarette filters or, at the very least, on the use of plastic in their production.
According to Politico, cigarette butts are one of the biggest sources of urban pollution. In Brussels, they account for about 30% of street litter, and The Hague’s authorities spend approximately 2 million euros annually on cleaning up discarded cigarette filters.
Most filters are made of cellulose acetate—a type of plastic that decomposes extremely slowly. When discarded into the environment, cigarette butts become a source of microplastics and toxic substances that pollute soil and water bodies.
Representatives of environmental organizations also note that cigarette filters do not provide a proven reduction in the harm caused by smoking, although they may give consumers the opposite impression. The World Health Organization (WHO) shares this position and supports restrictions on the use of plastic filters.
According to WHO estimates, the annual global costs associated with cleaning up and managing tobacco waste amount to $26 billion. The proponents of the ban hope to achieve changes during the revision of two European legislative acts. The first is the Tobacco Products Directive, amendments to which could potentially allow for a complete ban on cigarette filters regardless of the material used in their manufacture. The second is the Single-Use Plastics Directive, which could provide a basis for restricting the use of cellulose acetate.
At the same time, current EU legislation already requires manufacturers of tobacco products with plastic filters to contribute to the funding of cleanup efforts for such waste. These requirements are contained in EU Directive 2019/904, adopted in June 2019. Participants in the new campaign believe that the existing extended producer responsibility system has not resulted in a sufficient reduction in pollution.
Tobacco companies oppose a complete ban on filters. Industry representatives argue that filters can reduce the levels of certain components in tobacco smoke and are necessary to meet technical product requirements.
Nathan Jones, a representative of British American Tobacco, told Politico that manufacturers currently have no effective alternative to existing filters suitable for mass industrial production.
For their part, authorities in The Hague are insisting on a complete ban on filters regardless of the material from which they are made. In their view, replacing cellulose acetate with other materials will not solve the problem of environmental pollution.
A final decision on banning filtered cigarettes in the European Union has not yet been made. Introducing such restrictions will require drafting legislative changes and coordinating them at the EU institutional level.
Currently, European legislation requires mandatory labeling of tobacco products with plastic filters, informing consumers about the environmental harm caused by cigarette butts, and requiring manufacturers to contribute to the costs of waste cleanup. A possible expansion of these requirements—up to a complete ban on filters—could significantly impact the European tobacco market and require changes in cigarette manufacturing technologies.
Sources: European Commission, regulation of single-use plastics; EU Directive 2019/904.