Let’s Talk Butts

Why Surfboards Made of Cigarette Butts Might Save the World (or at Least the Ocean)

Let’s talk butts: cigarette butts.
Yes, those soggy, sad little stubs we’ve all seen wedged into sidewalks, floating in gutters, or—if you're lucky—jammed between your toes during a peaceful beach stroll. Fun!

Every year, trillions of cigarette butts are discarded. Not thousands. Not millions. Trillions. They’re the single most littered item in the world, and they don’t just disappear. Nope. They leach toxic chemicals, plastic fibers, and general grossness into the environment, especially our oceans.

Now, if this were a Disney movie, this is where a ragtag team of ocean lovers would emerge, armed with surfboards and optimism.
Oh wait—that actually happened.

Enter The Cigarette Surfboard: a surfboard made out of—wait for it—recycled cigarette butts.

This isn’t some Instagram stunt. It’s the symbol of an award-winning environmental documentary and grassroots campaign that’s already helped pass groundbreaking laws in Santa Cruz County and the City of Santa Cruz banning single-use cigarette filters. The boards were built as a creative statement to raise awareness and spark policy change — and they’ve done exactly that.

Now, the team’s mission is to get their film online so it can reach a global audience, inspire more communities to take action, and show the world how small groups can spark big change. After more than 80 screenings worldwide and dozens of festival awards, the only hurdle left is covering costly music licensing fees. The film features an incredible soundtrack with artists like Jack Johnson, Fela Kuti, and Hugh Masekela — but the rights to use these songs online come with a hefty price tag.

That’s where you come in.
Your contribution to their crowdfunder won’t go toward making more boards — it will directly fund the music rights needed to release the film on major streaming platforms. Once that’s done, the story of the Cigarette Surfboard can keep inspiring cities, counties, and even states to pass bans on single-use cigarette filters.

So if you love the ocean, hate pollution, or just want to be part of a movement that turns cigarette litter into real legislative wins, this is your moment.

Help get the film online.
Help keep the momentum going.
Because saving the ocean shouldn’t just be a pipe dream — and the next ban-the-butt law might start with you.

P.S. You might have recalled them from their participation in our previous event, Blue Innovation.