YPSILANTI, MI -- Smokers in downtown Ypsilanti will have a new place to dispose of their cigarette butts -- recycling containers. The Ypsilanti Downtown Development Authority is piloting 12 cigarette butt disposal containers throughout the commercial districts in the coming weeks, Director Christopher Jacobs said. The containers created by TerraCycle have a bag within them. When the bag is full, the city will ship it to a warehouse where the company separates the tobacco and paper for composting. The filter and synthetic fiber is cleaned and turned into pellets, which can then be used for a variety of products from shipping pallets to park benches, Jacobs said. Fertilizer created from the compost is not used in food production, TerraCycle spokesperson Alex Payne said. “For example, the fertilizer is commonly utilized for growing large trees that do not produce anything edible,” Payne said. Each disposal container is about $100, Jacobs said. Businesses in the DDA can apply for a container on their private property and the DDA will share the price. “It’s a step beyond and in a progressive place like Ypsi. Smoking is falling out of fashion, but for the few of us that smoke, it’s a great option,” Jacobs said. No timeline has been set for installation, Jacobs said, but the disposal containers will be ordered this week. Downtown Grand Rapids also has TerraCycle recycling containers, according to the company. The city has recycled 1.2 million cigarette butts to date, Payne said.