Unfortunately cigarette butts still top the charts in terms of most frequently littered items, claiming the spot of the #1 most littered item for the last many years. In terms of individual items, cigarette butts represent more than 20% of all the litter collected during community cleanup initiatives in the U.S. The filters of cigarettes, what we refer to as "the butt", is actually made up of small plastic fibers called cellulose acetate. It is a common misconception that butts will break down over time, but unfortunately the plastic fibers they're composed of persist in the environment.
Keep Charleston Beautiful's Cigarette Litter Prevention Program focuses on cleanup and prevention of this common type of litter.