These bars are giving free beer away in exchange for cigarette butts

A bar in Barcelona is taking drastic measures after new research has found that cigarettes are more damaging to the environment than plastic straws.

(Photo: iStock)

A recent study by Anglia Ruskin University found that cigarettes, not plastic straws, are the most damaging man-made substance to the environment.

Around 4.5 million cigarette butts are littered around the world annually. The study found that the presence of butts in soil reduced the germination success and shoot length of clover by 27% and 28% respectively.

Cigarette littering is also, naturally, a major problem on the coast. Just one cigarette butt can pollute 3 litres of sea water, and the contamination can take between five and 20 years to disappear. Some marine life can also mistake them for food.

In a bid to tackle the issue head-on, Tibu-Ron Group, which operates several beach bars in Barcelona, is handing out free beer and soft drinks to consumers who collect a pint of cigarette butts from the surrounding area.

It is not the first venue to offer booze for butts. Zanzibar on Baga Beach, Goa, started offering free beer to patrons who came to the premises with old cigarettes and bottle caps in February this year.