Nicotine pouch sales rise, littering increases across Finland

Sales of nicotine pouches in Finland have surged, with litter from the products increasingly visible in public spaces, Yle reports.

Retail data shows nicotine pouch sales nearly doubled last year compared to the previous year, while traditional cigarette sales declined. Despite this, maintenance engineer Lassi Jokinen of the city of Tampere estimates that cigarette butts remain the most common street litter, though discarded nicotine and snus pouches are also a growing problem.

“They’re thrown anywhere,” Jokinen said, noting that the pouches are increasingly seen in parks and even on beaches. According to Finland’s beach litter monitoring, nicotine and snus pouches were among the most frequently found items on shorelines in 2023–2024.

The Finnish Veterinary Association reports a rise in pet poisonings caused by discarded nicotine and snus pouches, which can be fatal to animals.

To combat littering, Tampere has added 700 new cigarette butt bins across the city in recent years, bringing the total to 880—meeting an EU directive requiring one bin per 300 residents. The city has spent approximately €200,000 on the expansion over two years. Maintaining public cleanliness, including emptying and cleaning the bins, costs Tampere over €2 million annually.

Nationwide, municipalities have installed more than 18,000 cigarette bins to comply with the directive.