How many pounds of cigarette butts are littered worldwide every year?

Each year, an estimated 1.69 billion pounds of butts wind up every year. Cigarette butts are by far the most littered item in the world. They also present a potential serious hazard to nature. The butt itself is composed of two parts which are the plastic filter and the remnants of the used tobacco. The leftover tobacco may be biodegradable but the filters are made from a plastic material known as cellulose acetate-- a chemical compound that breaks down but never disappears.