Cigarette smokers who end up in the stormwater wells in Västerås are further transferred directly into Lake Mälaren. When the smokers get into nature, the filter on the cigarette breaks down into microplastics, which pose a threat to the environment.
Therefore, the municipality and Mälarenergi hope that the new campaign will cause people to stop throwing smokes in the stormwater wells.
- It would be a big difference. If we reduce the number of finches in Lake Mälaren we will get better quality water. We bathe and take the drinking water from there, so everyone wants a cleaner water, says Melissa Martinez, environmental engineer at Mälarenergi.