STATELINE, Nev. (AP) — The oldest and largest conservation group at Lake Tahoe and a coalition of water suppliers plan to start distributing 250 cigarette butt collection canisters around the lake this summer to help protect the cobalt blue waters and reduce litter on the shoreline.
Leaders of the League to Save Lake Tahoe and Tahoe Water Supplies Association say the thousands of butts collected in recent beach cleanup events served as a call to action. More than 27,600 have been collected over the past year.
“With the help of these new cigarette butt canisters, it will be easy for everyone to properly dispose of cigarette butts and Keep Tahoe Blue,” said Marilee Movius, the league’s community engagement manager.
An estimated 98% of cigarette filters are made of plastic fibers, which means they are not biodegradable and can become a form of micro plastic, she said.