January 07, 2024
Only an estimated third of the cigarette butts from the 18 billion cigarettes smoked worldwide every day end up in a rubbish or recycling bin. Bratislava is pioneering a new way to recycle cigarette butts. The Slovakian capital’s municipal waste management company announced a new push to collect and reuse discarded cigarettes in 2024. During the city’s Christmas markets, the group trialled special containers designed to collect both standard cigarette filters and those found in modern heated tobacco devices like vapes. The city plans to use the discarded material to create asphalt for roads. Authorities hope this will contribute to cleaner streets and a practical reuse for the waste. Slovakia is home to the world’s first road made from cigarette butts While Bratislava hopes to increase cigarette recycling in 2024 with this new scheme, it will not be the first time filters have been used to make roads. There is already a road in Slovakia made by EcoButt using discarded cigarettes. It is located in Žiar nad Hronom in a central region of the country and is reportedly the first of its kind in the world. How do cigarette butts damage the environment? The push to recycle more discarded cigarettes could have a significant positive impact on the planet. Used cigarettes that are thrown on the ground are problematic for the environment because they release toxic substances which can contaminate water, soil and ecosystems. Only an estimated third of the cigarette butts from the 18 billion cigarettes smoked worldwide every day end up in a rubbish or recycling bin.