That is why Jonathan Neracher has teamed up with Facilities Services as well as TerraCycle in an effort to minimize cigarette butt waste on campus.

The container costs about $40, and the city is responsible for cleaning them. The developers of the units, TerraCycle, a company in New Jersey, handles the waste for free.

A key component of the initiative is the butt's final destination. A New Jersey company, TerraCycle, accepts the waste and composts the unburned tobacco and paper and recycles the plastic in the filters into pellets used to make products like park benches and shipping pallets, Lakeman said. Roylos hopes other cities in Maine and beyond will install Buttlers, and he has a plan to offer manufacturing and installation work to military veterans.

In some areas, cigarette litter recycling can actually be profitable for cities. As reported previously by GovExec State & Local, companies such as New Jersey-based TerraCycle are paying cities like Salem, Massachusetts, for their recycled butts. In order to track litter-reduction efforts, CLPP closely monitors programs in newly launched areas.