Today, filters are made with cellulose acetate (CA), a renewable and partially biodegradable material. Many alternative cigarette filter materials have been evaluated over the years. To be acceptable, any new material has to satisfy four criteria:
Good filtration efficiency and consistency, similar to CA filters
Significant reduction in total carbon footprint and/or significant improvement in marine, aquatic, and soil biodegradation versus a CA filter
Acceptable taste characteristics, as a product must be successful in the market to have the desired positive impact on the environment
Commercially viable at scale (all material science development starts in the laboratory and needs to be conducive to industrialization at large scale and at competitive costs)
No better alternative to CA has yet been found, but cigarette makers are continuing to explore options as new materials and processes become available.