TerraCycle® partners with Keep Denton Beautiful to recycle cigarette butts
TerraCycle Include USA Cigarette Recycling Program
Denton, Texas (January 30, 2019) – TerraCycle, the world’s leader in the collection and repurposing of complex waste streams, has joined forces with Keep Denton Beautiful, Inc. (KDB), a Keep America Beautiful affiliate, to collect and recycle cigarette butts throughout Denton’s business districts and City parks.
“Research from Keep America Beautiful tells us that cigarette butts are the most littered item in the United States and that butts frequently make it to our waterways,” said Program and Volunteer Coordinator Carly Weld. “We know that high traffic areas are most littered, so KDB strategically partners with the city, private business owners, and our dedicated volunteers to combat the litter. We strive to keep Denton clean and beautiful and this is one way to do it.”
Through this program, KDB is not only addressing the nation’s most commonly littered item but also a form of unbiodegradable plastic waste. Since employing their Cigarette Litter Prevention Program (CLPP) in 2007, Keep Denton Beautiful has been especially aware of this fact.
After successful implementations of CLPP, KDB has been able to place 19 receptacles in the Fry Street Area and Downtown Denton, resulting in an annual trend of forty percent less cigarette litter in commercial zones. More recently in 2018, KDB placed 5 receptacles in Quakertown Park and reports a litter reduction of two-thirds since preliminary scans in July. KDB currently maintains a total of 16 cigarette receptacles throughout the city and ships all collected waste to TerraCycle for recycling.
To date, Keep Denton Beautiful has shipped approximately 106,000 cigarette butts which translates to 106 pounds of waste diverted from landfills, incineration, or the environment. When processed, the paper and tobacco is separated from the filter and composted. The filter is recycled into plastic pellets which can be used by manufacturers to make a number of products such as shipping pallets, ashtrays and park benches.
“These receptacles will help keep the city of Denton free of one of the most littered items on the planet,” said Tom Szaky, the founder and CEO of TerraCycle. “With this program, KDB is taking a step to reduce the amount of trash going to landfill while also preserving the area’s natural beauty.”
TerraCycle has collected hundreds of millions of cigarette butts globally. Additionally, through its various recycling programs, it has engaged over 100 million people across 21 countries to collect and recycle more than four billion pieces of waste that were otherwise non-recyclable.