Great Britain is considering a plan to force big tobacco companies to pay the GBP 40 million (USD 55 million) annual cost of cleaning up discarded cigarette butts, reports Reuters.

“We are exploring how cigarette companies can be held fully accountable for the unsightly scourge of litter created by their products,” junior environment minister Rebecca Pow said in a statement on 30 March. Ministers are considering regulating the industry to ensure it pays the full disposal costs of cigarette litter, the report said. The ministry cited research which showed that smoking-related litter is the most prevalent form of litter in England, making up 68 per cent of all littered items and found on around 80 per cent of surveyed sites.