The City of Vancouver, B.C. has launched the world’s first cigarette butt recycling program in its bid to become the greenest city.
The pilot project began last Tuesday with the installation of 110 receptacles in four downtown areas where discarded butts pile up.
Because the cigarette filters are made of cellulose acetate, they can be recycled into eco-friendly products.
A year ago across Canada, New Jersey-based TerraCycle Inc. started recycling used cigarette butts and since then has collected millions of them from eco-conscious businesses and smokers to turn into plastic pellets for packaging. Cash incentives are offered to those who send in their butts. (See the video instructions on how to get involved in Terracycle’s Cigarette Waste Brigade.)
As an added benefit, the Cigarette Waste Brigade program will provide employment through two inner-city charities.
(READ the story from the Calgary Herald)