Do you have a cigarette litter problem in your neighborhood? Not sure? Here is a proposition: the next time you walk your dog, go on a stroll with family and friends, or even run errands, take a look at the ground. See how many cigarette butts you pass along the way!
If you answered yes to the above question, you probably know what I am going to say next. Cigarettes are THE most littered item on the planet and the single largest source of beach pollution. Although it’s one of the smallest pieces of litter, communities report that cigarette butts are the top item collected during local cleanups. Cigarette filters are not biodegradable and can take years to break down, leaching toxins into the water and ground.
As of the 2019 Texas Litter Study, “Cigarette Butts continued to comprise the largest portion of Micro Litter” across the state. The presence of cigarette litter within a community can result in decreased foot traffic, tourism, business development, and property value. Cigarette waste is unattractive. It gathers on sidewalks, outside doorways, and in gutters. In a business area, this type of litter can give the impression of lack of regard for the community. Cigarette waste on streets and sidewalks require additional sweeping and maintenance. Business owners and local property owners have to take on the cost of cleaning around their buildings and parking lots.
Whether you realize it or not, chances are, you and your community are impacted by litter. It’s a global issue after all! At TerraCycle, we are on a mission towards Eliminating the Idea of Waste®. One of the ways we meet our mission is through National Recycling Programs that allow anyone to recycle “hard-to-recycle” items, diverting waste from landfills and giving these materials a new application at their “end of life.”
There’s more good news! You can recycle all brands of cigarettes and packaging with TerraCycle through our FREE National Cigarette Waste Recycling Program. For every pound of cigarettes recycled, $1 is donated to Keep America Beautiful, which helps fund the Cigarette Litter Prevention Program across the country!
Getting started couldn’t be any easier. Simply…
- Visit the TerraCycle website and sign up for a free account: https://www.terracycle.com/en-US/account/sign_up
- Add the free Cigarette Waste Recycling Program to your account: https://www.terracycle.com/en-US/brigades/cigarette-waste-recycling
- Start collecting!
When you are ready to send in your first shipment, download your free shipping label from the program page and ship collections to us with UPS using any available box!
Now you may be wondering, how are cigarettes recycled and what are they turned into? I’m so glad you asked! The ash, tobacco, and paper are industrially composted and the filter, made of a plastic called cellulose acetate, is sanitized and broken down into a format used to make recycled materials like park benches and picnic tables!
This program is a great litter prevention tool that allows you and your community to fundraise for Keep America Beautiful at the same time! Help TerraCycle and Keep Texas Beautiful by signing up today. Remember, there is no such this as trash, just misplaced resources. Let’s continue to
Do Beautiful Things and Keep On Recycling!
Have questions about TerraCycle’s Cigarette Recycling Program? Would you like to know more about our other free recycling solutions? Please reach out to Caroline Coffee on the Strategic Partnerships Team ~ caroline.coffee@terracycle.com.
Blog post written by Caroline Coffee, Strategic Partnerships at TerraCycle (Guest) ~ Connect with me on LinkedIn!
