Communities united against cigarette litter begin recycling
TerraCycle’s new recycling program can relieve individuals and communities of non-reusable cigarette waste, announced on America Recycles Day, Nov. 15
Cigarettes are America’s most littered item. It’s causing a crisis in large American cities; the ashtrays once found outside of public buildings and select spaces in schools and airports are no longer found. Even after their disposed of (or littered), the butts take years to decompose naturally. They’re all over the street in Brooklyn, and they’ve become a fixture of the gritty urban atmosphere.
According to TerraCycle, a Trenton-based private recycling company that operates across 21 different countries, cigarette litter has a detrimental impact on the environment and wildlife. Chemicals like arsenic and lead because of cigarette litter disperse into marine and terrestrial environments.
In recognition of America Recycles Day on Nov. 15, TerraCycle has proposed a Cigarette Waste Free Recycling Program. By signing up online, people can mail in their cigarette waste for TerraCycle to recycle, and purchase receptacles as containers for any community area or business. Individuals can participate in the program by signing up online and sealing their cigarette waste in a plastic bag and mailing the bag in a box with TerraCycle’s free shipping label.