As part of a package of measures to reduce waste and promote recycling, tobacco firms will be billed for cleaning up discarded cigarette ends, reports The Guardian.

The new law, which conforms to an EU directive limiting the use of single-use plastics, comes into effect on 6 January and includes a ban on single-use plastics. Tobacco companies will be made responsible for educating the public on the correct disposal of cigarette butts which are largely made up of plastic and will be forced to foot the bill for cleaning up the millions of cigarette ends that smokers discard every year, according to The Guardian.
The total cost is yet to be determined, however, a Catalan study estimated that the costs lie roughly at EUR 12 to EUR 21 per citizen each year, totalling around EUR 1 billion.
According to The Guardian, tobacco companies are likely to pass the extra cost on to the consumer which could act as a further smoking deterrent.