He said the simple cigarette butt was a "beautiful example of how someone can start to take action" against littering, ocean pollution and ultimately the climate crisis.
Two years ago, the activist and surfing enthusiast collected about a million cigarette butts in two months.
"We want to put an end to this problem by encouraging people to throw their butts in the bin or pocket ashtrays -- anywhere but on the ground," said David Figueira, who took part in the project.
