Environmental Impact Of Nicotine Pouches
What Do Nicotine Pouches Contain?
Modern nicotine pouches are made with nicotine salt that is extracted from the tobacco plant, Nicotiana tabacum. However, the product contains no plant matter, making them completely tobacco-free.
Additionally, the pouches are made with materials such as:
- Plant-based food additives, such as hydroxypropyl cellulose, are used to maintain pouch consistency.
- Gum arabic, maltitol and micro crystalline cellulose — ingredients commonly found in chewing gum — are used to add bulk.
- pH adjusters - Sodium carbonate and bicarbonate, which are often used in baked goods, are added to help balance pH levels.
- Food-grade flavorings enhance the taste of nicotine pouches.
- Sugar substitutes, such as those found in beverages and confections, are used as flavor enhancers.
The unique blend of fillers, plant-derived stabilizers, flavorings and chewing gum base give each portioned bag optimal softness to fit comfortably and discreetly under the lip.
The Environmental Impact of Cigarette Butts
Worldwide, about 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are littered each year, and they’re often found along roadsides, green spaces, sidewalks, beaches and in waterways. Here’s the nitty gritty on cigarette remnants:
- They plague the sea. Cigarette butts are the 1 man-made contaminant in the world’s oceans. They’re also the single most collected piece of trash during annual beach cleanups. Moreover, used cigarettes are a threat to wildlife such as sea turtles and birds that may mistake the filters for food.
- They’re not easily biodegradable. The core of most cigarettes (the part that looks like white cotton) is made of cellulose acetate — a type of plastic that can take up to a decade to decompose.
- They’re a main contributor to litter in America. Cigarettes make up more than one-third of all collected litter.
- They leach toxic chemicals into the air. Each year, smoking globally emits about 2 billion kilograms of methane and 2.6 billion kilograms of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
The Environmental Impact of Nicotine Pouches
Tobacco growing and curing can have environmental consequences including loss of biodiversity, degradation and soil erosion. However, nicotine pouches are smoke-free and this means that they do not contribute to air pollution when used.
Nicotine pouches are also spit-free and easily discarded in the product’s catch-lid compartment. Users are able to discard each pouch responsibly, whereas cigarette butts are often thrown out a window or smashed into the ground.
Resources:
- https://nicokick.com/us/other-products-2
- https://www.zyn.com/us/en/questions/
- https://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2009/1118/earth-talk-little-cigarette-butts-make-big-litter-impact
- http://seavoicenews.com/2019/01/22/cigarette-butts-are-the-oceans-largest-source-of-trash/
- https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/serious-effects-cigarette-smoking-environment-and-human-health.php
- https://truthinitiative.org/research-resources/harmful-effects-tobacco/5-ways-cigarette-litter-impacts-environment
- https://www.snusdirect.com/articles/the-environmental-impact-of-snus-vs-cigarettes
- https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/255574/9789241512497-eng.pdf;jsessionid=F036FD22328C3204B6C2C62FBF773746?sequence=1
- https://www.thetruth.com/the-facts/fact-302