How Many Cigarette Butts Does It Take to Pollute the Sea?

A lot, according to the UN Environment Program and Ocean Conservancy. And although, in my personal experience, Greeks have gotten better in the last few years as far as littering goes, there's still a long way to go. Forty percent of marine litter in the Mediterranean Sea consists of...

cigarette buds! And although Greece is not the only country around the Mediterranean Sea, I'm pretty sure Greeks have contributed a lot to this statistic. Just take a look at the busiest beaches in the summer. You see tons of people smoking and putting out their cigarettes in the sand, making the beach one big ashtray. It's not tasteful and it definitely doesn't show our respect for our country.

Despite all this trash on the beach, however, Greece has managed to place 3rd in the test for water quality in countries of the European Union, with Lithuania and Cyprus ranking 1st and 2nd respectively. Water quality doesn't necessarily reflect clean beaches, though, does it?

Although a large part of keeping water clean and of good quality does not depend on us as consumers and beach-goers (factories in every part of Greece have done more than enough to pollute our waters), we can keep the beaches clean. Is it really that difficult to pick up your trash before you leave? Do you really have to put out your cigarette in the sand? Is this the attitude you want your kids to have? Hopefully not.

Sources: www.unep.org and www.econews.gr

Photo: www.thedailygreen.com