Italy to launch nationwide volunteer cleanup of cigarette butts on June 6‑7

Thousands of volunteers will take part in a coordinated cleanup across Italy on 6 and 7 June 2026, targeting discarded cigarette filters. The campaign, organised by the nonprofit Plastic Free Onlus and promoted with the slogan “The planet is not an ashtray”, coincides with World Environment Day (5 June) and World Oceans Day (8 June).

Organisers stress that cigarette filters are made of cellulose acetate, a synthetic plastic that can take more than ten years to degrade and breaks into micro‑ and nanoplastics. With Italy consuming over 70 billion cigarettes a year, many filters end up on streets, beaches and in waterways, each capable of contaminating up to 500 litres of water with nicotine, heavy metals and other toxins. In 2025 the group held 147 collection events, mobilising more than 2 800 volunteers and removing over 3 188 kg of butts – roughly 13 million filters.

The June mobilisation will involve schools, municipalities, businesses and environmental groups, aiming to raise public awareness, promote dedicated ash‑tray infrastructure and encourage proper disposal to protect soil, freshwater and marine ecosystems.