They stay disgusting for time immemorial. Check out those doorways. There they are by the hundreds, unless some poor janitor has the odious chore of cleaning them up each day. Or look at the ground at almost any intersection in Pinellas County. Police officers don't enforce littering laws.
Nobody seems to.
Yep, that's right. Each filter tip would be stamped noting it's a Maine butt and its smoker had paid a nickel deposit. Think about it. I quit smoking years ago. And I still have every single butt around here somewhere.