Recycling Cigarette Butts
Cigarette smoking is not only a leading cause of many diseases, including cancer, stroke, lung disease, diabetes and emphysema, it also accounts for a significant factor in environmental pollution as well. According to an article in Medical News Today, cigarette smoke produces ten times more air pollution than diesel car exhaust. Although the number of adult cigarette smokers has decreased from
20.9% in 2005 to 14% in 2019, cigarette smoking remains a major concern across the nation.
Worse, cigarette butts - the after effects of cigarette smoking are everywhere. In fact, billions of cigarette butts end up every year in our nation’s dumpsters and landfills, or get tossed as litter on shorelines, parks and sidewalks. Not only are cigarette butts an environmental nuisance, the filters on cigarette butts are made of cellulose acetate, a form of plastic that does not break down or degrade for hundreds of years.
Fortunately, TerraCycle - an environmental recycling company - has partnered with the Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company to recycle cigarette filters into a variety of industrial products, including plastic pallets. The remaining tobacco is also recycled for compost.
Extinguished cigarettes, ash, cigarette filters, loose tobacco pouches, rolling paper, outer plastic and inner foil packaging are all accepted for the TerraCycle cigarette butt recycling program. The only part of the cigarette packaging they don’t accept is the paperboard box, but that can be recycled through your regular recycling program.
The program also offers Cigarette Waste Receptacles for communities and businesses. Considering where we see the most cigarette waste:
1. Restaurants
2. Convenience Stores
3. Retail Establishments
4. Beaches
5. Parks
It wouldn’t take any effort to replace the typical cigarette containers with these recycling containers. From there, emptying the receptacles is not too difficult either - just dump the waste into a plastic bag, place the bag into a used box and request shipping. Not only are you helping clean up the area around you, you are also helping remove potentially toxic waste from the environment. Click here to learn more and sign-up for the TerraCycle Cigarette Waste Recycling Program.
Waste Cost Solutions is committed to informing the community about environmental issues that may inevitably affect us all. As the industry’s waste, recycling, and sustainability leader, Waste Cost Solutions delivers world-class customer support to our thousands of clients nationwide. We earnestly work to resolve any waste, recycling or facilities-related issue your business may have. Our team of specially trained agents are solution specialists who expressly work for you and your business. From overloaded dumpster issues to staying up-to-date with local and state ordinances, Waste Cost Solutions is with you day in and day out.
Note: Some of the page images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
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