Cigarette filter producers required to collect waste starting this year

The European authorities’ initiative on plastic waste management, launched many years ago and materialized into a directive, also includes a component targeting tobacco products with filters and filters marketed for use in combination with tobacco products containing plastic. The directive has been transposed into Romanian legislation, obligating producers of such products to ensure the collection of waste resulting from consumption starting this year.

By Adrian Teampău, Director, and Alina Alecu, Senior Consultant, Circular Economy Consulting, Deloitte Romania

According to EU Directive 904/2019 on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment, filters from tobacco products (cigarette butts) represent the second most widespread category of single-use plastic products found as waste on beaches within the European Union. In light of this, reducing the significant environmental impact of waste resulting from the consumption of such tobacco products has become essential.

In Romania, extended producer responsibility for waste generated by these products, established through the government ordinance transposing the directive (Government Ordinance 6/2021 on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment), can be carried out through a dedicated organization or individually. According to the legislation, producers are required to cover the costs related to the implementation of specific infrastructure for the collection of waste resulting from the consumption of tobacco products. This includes providing appropriate containers for such waste in areas with high consumption.

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What costs do producers need to cover?

For this purpose, producers need to cover at least the following costs: those related to informing consumers about reusable alternatives, the environmental impact, and the impact on the sewage system in case of improper waste management; those related to collecting waste discarded outside or within the public collection system of the local public authority and for the transport and subsequent treatment of such waste; costs for collecting and reporting data to responsible authorities.

Additionally, the legislation requires producers to apply a clear, legible, and non-erasable label on tobacco products introduced into the market. This label informs consumers about proper waste management options, the presence of plastic materials in the product, and the negative environmental impact, particularly on marine environments, when these products are improperly discarded.

Last but not least, extended producer responsibility schemes should include incentives for innovation leading to the development of sustainable alternatives to plastic-containing tobacco filters.

Hungary’s Model

For instance, in Hungary, based on recently adopted legislation, a concessionaire was selected nationwide through bidding to provide tobacco producers with necessary collection systems and, in turn, to collect waste from tobacco products, recycle them, and properly dispose of them as needed. For these services, the concerned entity charges producers a financial contribution as part of the fee they must pay in line with the extended responsibility. Hungary’s regulation came into effect on July 1, 2023, and producers are required to pay the corresponding fee for products sold in the previous quarter starting from the fourth quarter of this year.

Hungary’s legislation allows for both organizational options, either individually or through a collective entity.

In a Deloitte study conducted for producers in a neighboring country, evaluating smoking habits of consumers in 21 of the largest cities, which account for 30% of the population, the costs of managing this waste were collected and calculated. The study’s results highlighted a nationally applicable rate for a kilogram of collected and treated tobacco waste.

Moreover, the study also factored in changes in product portfolios (such as the growth rate of smokeless products) to develop scenarios for the appropriate fee to be applied to producers.

In conclusion, cigarette filter producers in Romania need to take steps to implement extended producer responsibility, which includes the collection of waste resulting from the consumption of the products they introduce to the market. This preparation will ensure their compliance with this obligation when the system becomes operational.