Philip Morris International
From one scourge to another: Smoking also helps drive plastic waste. Tobacco giant Philip Morris International owns many of the world’s most recognizable cigarette brands and ranks seventh on Break Free From Plastic’s list. Volunteers scooped up more than 1,500 pieces of plastic from Philip Morris brands like Marlboro and Parliament in 26 different countries.
“Plastic litter is a major global issue and cigarette butt littering adds to it,” a Philip Morris International spokesperson said in an email, adding that the company has “committed to a smoke-free future by completely ending sales of combusted cigarettes.” (That means getting people into vaping products, which isn’t exactly plastic-free.). The spokesperson also shared the company’s anti-pollution campaign (called, incredibly, “Our World Is Not An Ashtray”) which was designed to “raise awareness and drive a long-term change in behavior and attitudes around cigarette butt littering.”
