Indoor-smoking bans are actually making things worse for the environment. Cigarette butts have been showing up on sidewalks and streets as smokers have been forced outside. The litter is not only unsightly – it’s a source of water pollution as the butts wash down storm drains that flow into streams. The most environmentally hazardous part of a cigarette butt is the filter, which is made of condensed cellulose acetate, a mass of plastic fibers thinner than sewing threads that doesn’t decay easily.
Take this case for example, In UK during cold weather, the patio heaters are used an average of 237 days a year. Environmental groups predict that patio heaters will produce around 282,000 tons of emissions per year now. That’s a 260,000 ton increase over pre-ban numbers. Some groups are calling for the patio heaters themselves to be banned in an effort to fight the negative environmental impact they have.
