JTI is launching a new initiative to provide people across the UK with a free way to recycle cigarette butts and associated smokers’ waste for the first time.
The Cigarette Waste Brigade sees JTI in partnership with TerraCycle, a specialist in developing solutions for hard-to-recycle materials. Cigarette butts are not biodegradable but this new collaboration makes this waste recyclable in the UK for the first time. All the collected cigarette waste will be recycled by TerraCycle into a variety of useful plastic products, such as delivery pallets, with any remaining tobacco or paper being composted.
Businesses, retailers, community members and consumers wishing to clean up litter hot-spots and pave the way for similar action in their local community can sign up to the Cigarette Waste Brigade at www.terracycle.co.uk to collect cigarette waste and send it to TerraCycle for free. Cigarette butts, cigar butts, ash, used and unused cigarette filters, rolling paper, inner foil packaging and outer plastic packaging are all accepted.
Charlie Cunningham Reid, Head of Corporate Affairs and Communications at JTI UK said: “This initiative will encourage smokers to make the responsible choice of recycling their cigarette waste and reduce the number of cigarette butts that are littered in communities around the UK. The Cigarette Waste Brigade is also a great opportunity for retailers to play a prominent role in their local communities by recycling cigarette waste that is being generated near their premises.”
