All tobacco products in Karnataka together generate total waste of 23,221 tonnes annually, according to estimates the State Tobacco Control Cell (STCC) released on Friday. This includes plastic, paper, foil and filter waste.
Waste generation from cigarettes is the highest at 16,451 tonnes, though only 4.4% of the state’s population use it. Next comes beedi, used by 5.9%, and generating 5,436 tonnes of waste. Though smokeless, tobacco products (oral) are the most popular (16.3%) in the state, they generate relatively low amounts of waste (1,334 tonnes).
The quantity of waste generation was estimated by looking at 200 tobacco products across the country, and extrapolating it to Karnataka’s results from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey of 2016-17.
Going by the type of waste, the highest quantity was paper waste (15,903 tonnes), which was largely contributed by cigarettes. Next highest was plastic waste at 4,286 tonnes.
Foil waste of 2,289 tonnes is contributed by cigarettes alone. Whereas the 743 tonnes of filter waste is contributed by cigarettes and beedis combined, each in almost equal measure.
“Besides waste generation, the traditional practice of curing tobacco leaves has also been causing deforestation in areas like Hunsur. Because about 8 kg of wood is needed to cure 1 kg of tobacco leaves,” says Prabhakara, project manager at STCC.
(Published 17 March 2023, 17:24 IST)
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