Cigarette butts are the most littered item on the planet. People toss out an estimated 4.5 trillion cigarette butts each year, and that number may double by the end of 2025 as e-cigarette use grows.

When the New York excise tax was hiked, the Albany Times-Union noted, "it's the nation's highest and brings a pack of cigarettes at many retailers to about $12….Health advocates hailed the increase, ...