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Crapital_Prunishment t1_j2nqlzd wrote

How about we start imprinting the butts with a serial number that is associated with the purchaser's ID at time of purchase. Then we start fining individuals who improperly dispose of their trash. While tobacco companies are responsible for the origin of the trash, the consumers are the ones responsible for the litter.

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pykrete_golem t1_j2nwfke wrote

Or we could punish a small number of for profit organizations that caused this problem in the pursuit of profits.

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Crapital_Prunishment t1_j2nxlvc wrote

Both are responsible, but no amount of advertising makes it okay for the individual to litter. Everything that happens after purchase is the consumer's responsibility.

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chapstick__ t1_j2oqmwe wrote

No it's not, that's exactly the kind of rhetoric used when companies switched from reusable glass bottles to plastic. Of course the things that do not break down and cannot be reused will cause more garbage. Cigarettes butts used to be able to decompose like anything else, and now they don't so they look like an eye sore. Companies need to be charged for any and all waste they put out into the world until they make better packaging that can decompose or be reused.

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TheSnootBooper t1_j2owd9i wrote

Agreed. We should do the same thing with all trash, all potential waste should have a serial number that is associated with the last registered owner. All transfers and transactions of all products must be recorded in a worldwide system to eliminate the risk of fraud, so you couldn't say "I bought that product for a friend of mine, I didn't litter". The serial numbers must also be durable, so they couldn't be (intentionally or otherwise) defaced or otherwise made unreadable, thereby foiling enforcement. This sounds very reasonable and very feasible.

edit: apparently this was insufficiently over the top to be obvious sarcasm.

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VataVagabond t1_j2pe4x3 wrote

There’s a big problem with this though… Just got in a big fight with my neighbor? Steal trash out of his trashcan and litter the park. That’ll teach him.

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Swag_420_2012 t1_j2owhhm wrote

So there should be a data base that the cigarette companies own, where store owners have to update it and cops can access? All so they can track down someone who littered a cigarette butt?

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ChaoticEvilBobRoss t1_j2p9kfl wrote

That's a lot better than my superpower where I make them and other people who are littering have explosive diarrhea in the next most inconvenient situation.

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