Plastic Free’s San Felice del Benaco Cleanup Targets Cigarette Butts
San Felice del Benaco will host a cigarette butt cleanup on Sunday, June 7 at 9:30 a.m., organized by Plastic Free Onlus. Volunteers will meet at the Port, with contact Mattia Di Mento. The event is part of Plastic Free’s national mobilization for World Environment Day (June 5) and the lead-up to World Oceans Day (June 8), and it forms one of thirteen initiatives in Lombardy open to volunteers, citizens, associations and local administrations.
Cigarette butts are among the main sources of microplastics: filters use cellulose acetate, a plastic that takes more than ten years to degrade and breaks into micro- and nanoplastics. Globally, about 4.5 trillion butts are dispersed each year; in Italy, consumption exceeds 70 billion per year, and a single butt can contaminate up to 500 liters of water by releasing heavy metals and toxic substances. The 2026 edition promotes the slogan “The planet is not an ashtray,” and the local event is organized by Plastic Free volunteers with community and local institutions.
Italian Version
