Over the past few months, Bellevue College’s Office of Sustainability have been collecting cigarette butts in an effort to reduce our student waste.
Every year, billions of cigarette butts end up in dumpsters and landfills, or get tossed as litter on shorelines, parks, and sidewalks across the US. The waste collected through this program is recycled into a variety of industrial products, such as plastic pallets, and any remaining tobacco is recycled as compost.
HOW IT WORKS
Participating is completely free and very easy. If you or your participants do not smoke, or are under the age of 21, please visit our other Brigade programs to see how you can help the environment.
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE WASTE
Once collected, the cigarettes and packaging are separated by composition and melted into hard plastic that can be remolded to make new recycled industrial products, such as plastic pallets. The ash and tobacco are separated out and composted in a specialized process. Click here to learn more about the recycling process.
Last Updated March 9, 2016