Toronto-based recycler TerraCycle has launched the “first national collection and recycling program for cigarette waste.” Participation in the Cigarette Waste Brigade program is free – thanks to tobacco-industry sponsorship – and covers all types of cigarette waste except the (already widely recyclable) cardboard boxes. Participants amass filters and cigrettes’ aluminum and plastic packaging in plastic bags, and when enough waste is collected, they log into their account and print a free prepaid UPS shipping label to send it off for recycling. Contrary to popular belief, cigarette butts are non-biodegradable and do not break down quickly. Waste collected through the Waste Brigade program will be recycled into plastic pallets for industrial use. www.terracycle.ca