4 MIN READ

11-16-2024

Cigarette Butts: The Ocean's Silent Pollutants

Kubik, 4ocean Bali Content Correspondent

     This wasn’t just a single person’s habit that was being discarded—this was the result of an ongoing global issue, and it had become a serious environmental problem. Cigarette butts are not only one of the most commonly littered items in the world, but they are also a direct threat to marine life, impacting everything from tiny fish to majestic whales.

     At first glance, cigarette butts might seem small and harmless. They’re lightweight, easy to miss, and easy to dismiss. But during our cleanup, we quickly realized just how pervasive and dangerous they are. As the team of dedicated 4Ocean crew members—Jufrin, Hazin, Sakirin, Habib, Idin, Irkam, Marsudi, Riyan, Wahyudi Rahman, and Ali Wafa—worked together to collect debris, the sheer number of cigarette butts littering the beach was overwhelming.

     We worked tirelessly for hours, collecting over 2,600 pounds of waste, including plastic wrappers, straws, buckets, and, most alarmingly, cigarette butts. But what struck us most was the scale of the problem. Each small, seemingly insignificant butt was a ticking time bomb of environmental damage.

Cigarettes: Small but Deadly

Here’s why these little objects are such a big problem:

1. Non-Biodegradable: Cigarette butts don’t breakdown naturally in the environment. Instead, they can linger for years, leaching toxins into the water and soil.

2. Chemical Contaminants: Every butt contains nicotine, heavy metals, and more than 7,000 harmful chemicals. When these chemicals seep into the water, they can intoxicate or kill marine life, especially fish and shellfish that are exposed to them.

3. Threat to Marine Animals: Many marine creatures, like sea turtles, whales, and dolphins, feed on objects that float on the ocean’s surface. If cigarette butts are left unchecked, these animals might mistake them for food, ingesting harmful chemicals in the process.

4. Plastic-like Impact: Like plastic, cigarette butts break into microplastic particles. These tiny fragments can enter the food chain, posing long-term risks to both marine animals and humans who rely on seafood for sustenance.

     Determined to do more than just clean up, we decided to take our efforts a step further by using the collected cigarette butts to create a powerful visual statement. The crew worked together to craft a mural of a sea turtle and a whale, two iconic marine animals that are particularly vulnerable to the dangers of cigarette butt pollution. The image of these creatures, painstakingly made from over a thousand cigarette butts, became more than just art—it became a message. The mural symbolized the interconnectedness of our actions and the marine life we are putting at risk every day. For many of us, it was a sobering reminder of why we do this work.

     It wasn’t easy—there were moments of frustration, but the reward of seeing the beach gradually return to its natural beauty made it all worth it. Our collective effort reinforced a powerful lesson: Every small action can have a profound impact on our planet.

     In Indonesia, many fishermen still smoke while working, and cigarette butts often end up on the beach. It’s a habit deeply embedded in the culture, but one that has devastating consequences for marine ecosystems. Through this cleanup, we hope to raise awareness and inspire change—not just in local communities, but across the world. Every piece of trash we remove, every cigarette butt we collect, is one step closer to a cleaner ocean and a healthier planet.

     The ocean needs us. And we need the ocean.

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