Cigarette Filter

Have you ever wondered what does a cigarette filter do? Will that affect the taste of your cigarette?

Why don’t we just get rid of it to make a room for more cigarette?

Well, the thing is, all cigarette filter does is just filtering, hence the name. Yet, it helps you to avoid the dangerous chemicals in a cigarette that will decrease your lifetime.

A long time ago, before the 50’s, cigarette filter was non existent. People didn’t care about filter. They weren’t aware of the hazard of smoking cigarettes.Thus. they preferred unfiltered cigarette.

However, when the 50s came, research linking smoking to lung cancers began to pop out. People began to grow worried about their cigarette.

Then. to assure the smokers that there is a way to make smoking healthier, cigarette filter was introduced.

The filter, filters the smoke and thus preventing your body from inhaling the nicotine, tar and other substances in a cigarette.

Have you noticed that some cigarettes have been labeled as low tar, low nicotine?

Well, the difference between those and regular ol’ cigarette is the cigarette filter. In the low tar, low nicotine cigarettes, the filter has tinier, invisible perforations in the filter.

That way, less nicotine and tar is inhaled into your lungs whenever you smoke.

What Is In Cigarette Filter

These days, you’d be hard pressed to find unfiltered cigarettes because almost all of the cigarettes available on the market are filtered.

Referring to the name, it is easy to know that cigarette filter filters all the smoke that we inhaled when we are smoking.

However, what exactly in a cigarette filter? This article will enlighten you about cigarette filter.

To make things clear, cigarettes are divided into two parts. Those are tobacco rod, and the filtration zone.

The components in tobacco rod are tobacco-obviously-and some additives like nicotine and tar. As for the cigarette filter, the components are explained below:

1. A Plug

This plug is made from acetate cellulose filter made from plastic, paper, and rayon. This makes up for 95% component of cigarette filter.

This fibers are extremely thin, to the point of almost invisible, and being packed tightly together as a filter.

The plug or the filtration efficiency is what makes the difference between regular cigarettes with ‘light’ cigarettes.

2. Inner Wrapper

This wrapper is used to wrap the acetate plug and usually unpenetrable to air for regular cigarettes, or ventilated for light cigarettes, so that when you smoke your cigarettes, more air enters your lung and makes it ‘light’ compared to regular cigarettes.

3. Outer Paper The outer paper is formulated to not stick to smokers’ lips. The outer paper is usually printed like a cork.

4. Other components

How To Recycle Cigarette Filter

Cigarette filter is one of the most hazardous waste on earth. The abundance of chemical substances in cigarette filter could damage the surrounding environment by polluting air, water, or ground.

One of the best ways to get rid of it is by recycling them in a correct manner and place. Here are the steps to dispose your cigarette filter:

The first thing you can do is by extinguishing your cigarette filter. Make sure that the flame is completely out by stepping on it with your shoes, the safest way to do it.

Then, store the filter in a thick plastic bag and separate the cigarette filter with other waste. Place the plastic bag in a dry place. Collect at least 1.4 kg of cigarette filters so you can send it to a recycling website.  One of the available recycling websites is Terracycle.

Find the website on the internet, and then send them your cigarette filters waste. Just that, and you already contribute to save your environment and the planet!