Environmental Management Administration

Approximately 36.5 billion cigarettes were sold in Taiwan in 2025. If one-quarter of cigarette butts are littered, it is estimated that more than 9.1 billion cigarette butts are released into the environment each year.

The chemical mixture released from cigarette butts contains toxic and carcinogenic substances. When improperly discarded, these pollutants may enter soil, rivers, lakes, and oceans through drains or stormwater channels, affecting the environment and marine ecosystems. They may then enter the food chain, posing an ecological threat comparable to that of plastic waste.

The problem of cigarette butt littering continues to exist in everyday environments. According to statistics from recent years, cigarette butt littering cases account for approximately three-quarters of all violations under Article 27, Paragraph 1, Subparagraph 1 of the Waste Disposal Act (the Act) nationwide. Under the Act, individuals who litter cigarette butts or engage in similar acts may be fined between NT$1,200 and NT$100,000.

To prevent cigarette butts from spreading throughout the environment, the Ministry of Environment has launched the “National Cigarette Butts Off the Ground Initiative.” The initiative promotes proper cigarette butt disposal through six major strategies, including changing the culture, reduction at the source, inspection and enforcement, environmental cleanup, public-private collaboration, and enhanced research. These are further supported by 21+N measures. Together, these efforts aim to create a cleaner and healthier living environment and a cleaner and more sustainable ecosystem.