The Lifecycle of a Cigarette: a Measure of Environmental Impact

Many smokers fail to consider the fact that cigarettes are a major source of pollution worldwide, as they are mindlessly tossed onto sidewalks, and most likely washed away down drains where they eventually venture out into lakes and seas. The lifecycle of a cigarette from the cultivation of tobacco, to processing and packaging, all lead to a consumer full of desire to smoke its contents, eventually leaving a butt behind in the process as litter. The “Global cigarette production in 2004 was 5.5 trillion units, or 868 cigarettes per every man, woman and child on the planet (1).” During a time of worrisome global climate change, cigarettes contribute to vast amounts of environmental threats including the use of agricultural chemicals, deforestation, pollution of waterways, and even the disruption of ecosystems throughout the globe.

Tobacco is grown in warm climates, and requires rich, well-drained soils to support the maturation of the crop. Seeds are essentially scattered on the surface of the soil creating a seedbed where germination occurs in which a plant emerges from a seed and begins to grow (2). Once the tobacco has reached a certain height, it is then transplanted into fields for harvesting. Tobacco is a very sensitive plant, and it requires much nurturing, as it is prone to many diseases (2). Cultivating the crop requires immense amounts of pesticide use and fertilizers that are required at all stages of growth. Tobacco is known for absorbing nutrients present in the soil such as phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium, so it requires large amounts of chemical inputs like fertilizers (2). Tobacco often leaves the soil in poor conditions for future growth, which is considered to be unsustainable. Due to tobacco’s extreme sensitivity as a plant, “During a three month period from making the seedbed to transplanting the seed in the field, up to 16 applications of pesticides may be recommended (2),” and the desire to produce larger crops in a smaller amount of time...