Clean-Up Day: Cleaning up the streets or the tobacco industry’s image?

Every year in Switzerland, thousands of people participate in Clean-Up Day to collect trash. Among the partners of the organization coordinating this initiative is Japan Tobacco International (JTI), even though cigarette butts are among the most common types of litter and represent a significant source of pollution. By funding and participating in cleanup campaigns, the tobacco industry is thus attempting to polish its image and portray itself as part of the solution, while at the same time diverting attention from its own responsibility for environmental pollution that is directly linked to its products.