The next substances likely to be regulated could be organic wastes including food wastes; several U.S. cities now provide services for food waste collection and composting. The country of India is closely monitoring tobacco waste.
An article which appeared in the 3.1.2023 edition of Waste 360 reported on a study by the National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research (NICPR, an India governmental organization), which noted that the environmental impact of tobacco waste in India, the world’s second largest consumer and producer of tobacco products, is a major environmental hazard. The study estimated that over 1.5 million tons of tobacco-related waste is generated each year including the cellulose acetate filters, which may take 10 years or longer to decompose. (Some studies report that cellulose acetate filters are not biodegradable).