Terracycle takes its goal of outsmarting waste one step further with another environmental breakthrough the launch of a free program to collect and recycle cigarette waste in canada. The cigarette waste brigade® program in partnership with canadas largest tobacco manufacturer will divert used cigarette butts, along with cigarette foil and plastic packaging waste, from landfills. Cigarette filters were the number one item recovered during the annual great canadian shoreline cleanup in 2011, with 351,238 collected. Contrary to popular belief, cigarette butts are nonbiodegradable and do not break down quickly.
This program will make this pervasive waste easily recyclable for the first time. The collected waste will be recycled into plastic pallets for industrial use. By making pallets from recycled cigarette waste, terracycle will not only reduce the amount of litter in canada, but also reduce the need to use wood or virgin plastic to make commonly used industrial pallets. The organic parts of the waste the paper and remaining tobacco will be composted.
"this is one of the most exciting developments in terracycles history," says torontonative and terracycle founder, tom szaky. "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." everything but the recyclable cardboard box is accepted. Filters can be collected in receptacles like ashtrays as usual.
Collectors then deposit the waste in a plastic bag which gets recycled as well. Once enough waste is collected, participants log into their account and print a free prepaid ups shipping label to return their box at no cost. Once terracycle canada receives the shipment, the participants account will be credited with 100 points equal to 1 per pound of waste received. The points can be used to purchase charity gifts or converted to cash for donation to a charity or nonprofit of the collectors choice.
Terracycle has already kept more than two billion pieces of waste from going to landfill, and with its partners, dispersed more than 3.5 million to charity through its various brigade® programs. This newest program joins 15 others on offer in canada. Terracycle is currently creating solutions for other difficulttorecycle but widely discarded waste streams, such as disposable diapers and used chewing gum.
