Brandenburg schools collect 60,000 cigarette butts for the environment!

Brandenburg schools collect 60,000 cigarette butts for the environment!

In Brandenburg, an impressive project has developed that creates the student in a creative way for environmental protection. Several schools in the region participated under the motto "Cigarette-Kippenkippen-Challenge 2025" and achieved considerable results. A total of around 12 kilograms of cigarette can be collected, which corresponds to about 60,000 tips. This challenge was not only a competition among the students, but also a significant contribution to improving environmental protection.

like Meetingpoint-brandenburg.de of the Johann-Heinrich Pestalozzi School and all classes of Bos Kirchmöser. The AG School environment of the Havel School and several classes of the Saldern-Gymnasium, as well as the Junior Sorrency DRK, also participated. The collected tips were packed and documented in bottles, buckets and waste bags - some groups created videos and contributions for their school newspapers.

a real environmental protection contribution

The environmental protection contribution of this project is remarkable: by eliminating cigarette bumblebees, around 3 million liters of groundwater could be protected against contamination. As is well known, a single tilt stub can contaminate 40 to 60 liters of water. This impressively shows how important it is to properly dispose of cigarette waste and point out the dangers that work out of these small, often overlooked waste.

according to Tagesschau.de lands about two thirds of the smoked cigarettes in nature and not only causes damage to the flora and fauna, but also serious health risks for humans. The UNESCO estimates that 5.6 trillion cigarettes are smoked annually, the filters of which are made of plastic and microplastics and are difficult to remove from the environment. These contain toxic substances such as nicotine, arsenic and other heavy metals that get into the groundwater and damage it. A proper disposal could prevent such devastating consequences.

innovative solutions for a clean planet

The campaign to combat the cigarette stub problem is now an international challenge. According to studies, also of initiatives such as climatezutz-mh.de , the correct disposal of cigarette waste is essential. Initiatives demand that cigarette manufacturers are held responsible for the environmentally harmful effects of their products - be it through the financing of public campaigns or through better equipment with ashtractors in public locations.

On June 30, 2025, the cigarette button challenge took place in the Nature Conservation Center Krugpark, where the participants were awarded for their services with certificates and 200 euros in prize money. A nice incentive to remain active in the future and to fight for a cleaner planet!