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The life-sized cigarette butt installation.
KIICKBUTT INITIATIVE: CIGARETTES ONE OF TOP PLASTIC POLLUTANTS
Mind the butt SAMANTHA LEE-JACOBS @samantha_lee121
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unique and quirky art installation aimed at creating awareness around an unknown plastic pollutant and its risk has hit beaches and popular attractions around the country. The Kiickbutt initiative was initiated more than a year ago but gained momentum over the last month.
The initiative is aimed at simulating the magnitude of damage created by irresponsible disposal of the cigarette butts and what animals encounter as they come across the butts in nature. The 19 life-sized butts are created from decommissioned telephone poles, spray-painted to resemble cigarette butts. Clive Amsel, WRAPP CEO, installation artist and environmentalist, says many people do not realise the cigarette butts are actu-
ally made of plastic and are one of National Geographic’s top listed plastic pollutants in the world. While they may look like white cotton, the basis of most cigarette filters is a plastic named cellulose acetate, which can take up to 10 years to fully decompose. The environmental risk is increased in the fact that filters are designed to absorb the contaminants in cigarettes and prevent them from going into the lungs. These con-
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taminants include cadmium, arsenic and lead which are then released into waterways or ingested by animals. “We chose areas that are environmentally sensitive, but also areas where people tend to smoke and leave their butts,” says Amsel. “As you walk along the beach or take a hike anywhere in the country, you will find cigarette butts scattered all over the place, defacing the natural beauty of your surroundings.” V To page 2
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