Tobacco waste manager ÚNICO starts funding urban cleaning costs

ÚNICO, the entity managing single-use plastic products with a focus on filtered tobacco products, has begun operating, requiring producers to fund municipal urban cleaning costs linked to cigarette butt waste. The system follows the 2019 EU Single-Use Plastics Directive, with ÚNICO licensed in 2024 and now launching after approval of producer payment terms. Though tobacco products are under 1% of characterised urban waste by weight, filters are frequently discarded in public spaces, driving extra cleaning costs. Contributions cover sweeping, beach cleaning and waste transport, but not selective collection or recycling. Municipalities must register and report annual cleaning data to receive payments.

This appeared in the Pulse of 28 August 2026 — Read that edition →