We’ve heard it before – cigarettes are the most littered item. They’re everywhere! Even if they’re properly disposed of, they just end up in the landfill. But what if they could get another life as something entirely different?
I stumbled upon the TerraCycle website the other day and was super excited to read that someone is turning cigarette waste into industrial products like plastic pallets. Recycling cigarette butts?! How great is that?
The program is pretty simple. You collect cigarette butts, cigarette filters, loose tobacco pouches, outer plastic packaging, inner foil packaging, rolling paper or ash and put them into a plastic bag. Collect enough to fill a box you have around the house, print out your pre-paid shipping label from the website and ship it. Super simple!
This program seems like it could be a great addition to your neighborhood litter pickups! Put all those cigarette butts in a different bag from the other waste and send them all to TerraCycle for recycling when you’re done. They also offer recycling opportunities for a lot of other items such as plastics and food wrappers.
I can’t wait to try this. Let us know if you do it and what you think. Every little bit counts!