Do not treat Mother Earth as an ashtray
By sunslinger
@sunslinger (474)
Singapore
May 13, 2007 1:07am CST
I'm sure that very little of you actually know that cigarette butts are actually killing Gaia slowly but surely? How do they do this - unlike paper, cigarette butts are not bio-degradable. Nearly all cigarette filters found inside cigarette butts are composed of a bundle of 12,000 plastic-like fibers. Help save mother earth and help yourself - stop smoking.
1 person likes this
2 responses
@onedollar (781)
• Belgium
19 Sep 07
They are not made from oilderivates or plastics as we know as plastics.
It's made from cellulose acetate
Acetate is derived from cellulose by deconstructing wood pulp into a purified fluffy white cellulose. The cellulose is then reacted with acetic acid and acetic anhydride in the presence of sulfuric acid. It is then put through a controlled, partial hydrolysis to remove the sulfate and a sufficient number of acetate groups to give the product the desired properties. The anhydroglucose unit is the fundamental repeating structure of cellulose and has three hydroxyl groups which can react to form acetate esters. The most common form of cellulose acetate fiber has an acetate group on approximately two of every three hydroxyls. This cellulose diacetate is known as secondary acetate, or simply as "acetate".
After it is formed, cellulose acetate is dissolved in acetone into a viscose resin for extrusion through spinnerets (which resemble a shower head). As the filaments emerge, the solvent is evaporated in warm air via dry spinning, producing fine cellulose acetate fibers.
It's not toxic but it takes a long time to decompose but what is more important are the toxic chemicals inside the filter, these are the real pollutants.
