United States – The Canadian arm of TerraCycle, which specialises in processing difficult-to-recycle consumer packaging, is inviting smokers to send in their cigarette butts for conversion into pallets.
Under a new initiative called ‘The Cigarette Waste Brigade’, the company is asking consumers to send everything from filters, stubs, and rolling paper to the outer plastic packaging to its recycling facility. TerraCycle says it can handle ‘everything but the cardboard box itself’.
TerraCycle’s founder, Tom Szaky, is aware the idea may sound surreal, but said it was true to the company’s principles. ‘As a company committed to recycling waste streams that others deem worthless or unsavoury, cigarette waste will help to promote our belief that everything can and should be recycled,’ he said. He added that contracts have already been signed with leading tobacco companies in the USA and Canada.
Cigarette consumption is estimated at one trillion per year. Mr Szaky reasons: ‘Regardless of what we think of tobacco, we can all agree that the litter caused by cigarette butts is a major issue.’
The scheme takes care of shipping costs via a special label that can be downloaded from the TerraCycle website. But there is another incentive to join in: ‘We’re also going to offer a US$ 1 donation to your favourite charity for every thousand butts collected,’ added Mr Szaky.
For more information, visit: www.terracycle.net/en-US/
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