Das Recycling von Zigarettenstummeln ist in Deutschland erstmals flächendeckend möglich. Dank einer nationalen Umweltinitiative des Recycling-Unternehmens TerraCycle http://terracycle.de kann der Zigarettenabfall zu 100 Prozent recycelt werden. Während Papier sowie Tabak kompostiert werden, dienen die Filter der Erzeugung von anderen Plastikprodukten. An diesem kostenlosen Programm teilnehmen können Vereine, Diskotheken, Restaurants, Hotels, Schwimmbäder und alle, die sich für die Umwelt einsetzen wollen.

Brigades have raised nearly $300K for charities

By: SWR Staff 2014-08-06

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  Canada’s quirkiest recycler, TerraCycle, has reached a milestone in the world of butt-kicking. After expanding its innovative recycling program called Cigarette Waste Brigade, and teaming with Imperial Tobacco in 2012, TerraCycle has officially surpassed the 20-million milestone for recycled cigarette butts, one of the world’s most troublesome form of street litter. The program has reached high levels of success based on a formula of offering charitable donations for each pound of cigarette waste collected and mailed in. The collected material is recycled into plastic industrial applications or composted according to industry regulations. TerraCycle and its participants have raised upwards of $300,000 for charity through its various Brigade programs.

"We're committed to working with consumers, employees and our partners to forge a tobacco industry that continually improves its performance in the area of corporate social responsibility," says Marie Polet,  president and CEO of Imperial Tobacco Canada. "We are honoured and privileged to support the Cigarette Waste Brigade program who have done an excellent job."

The Brigade program recycles the cigarette butts, inner foil, outer wrap, unused tobacco, ashes and other elements that comprise cigarette waste. Cigarettes are made from cellulose acetate, which takes years to break down, says TerraCycle. The steps taken to reduce cigarette litter will have a positive impact on waterways, wildlife and human health. By making plastic products from recycled cigarette waste, the program not only reduces the amount of litter globally, but also reduces the need to employ wood or virgin plastic in the production of common industrial pallets, which TerraCycle makes from the recycled plastic created by the cigarette filters. Cigarette filters were also the number one item recovered during the annual Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup in 2013. According to TerraCycle, only 10 per cent of cigarette waste is properly disposed of in receptacles. Participate in the program by visiting www.terracycle.ca.

Canada's largest casino, through a partnership with TerraCycle, will be collecting cigarette waste separately from other garbage in a dedicated effort to reduce the casino's impact on the environment. Casino de Montréal will be part of TerraCycle Canada's Cigarette Waste Brigade program for used cigarette butts (as well as cigarette foil and plastic packaging waste). The items will be collected from the casino and diverted from landfills for the very first time. Cigarette butts are non-biodegradable and do not break down. The program will enable this pervasive waste item to be easily recyclable. "We are proud to launch the recycling program of cigarette waste with Terracycle," said Jacques Massé, the casion's Director of Administration. "This project is one of many initiatives undertaken by the Casino de Montreal to achieve its sustainable development action plan," he added. Casino site coordinators will collect cigarette litter and send the waste to TerraCycle to earn fundraising dollars. For every pound of cigarette waste collected, the casino will earn $1 towards a charity of their choice. The waste will be recycled into plastic pallets (also known as skids) for industrial use. Creating pallets from recycled cigarette waste will not only reduce the amount of litter, but will also reduce the need to use wood or virgin plastic to make commonly used industrial pallets. The organic parts of the waste - the paper, and remaining tobacco - will be composted. "TerraCycle is thrilled to have Canada's largest gaming facility, Casino de Montréal, collecting and recycling cigarette waste.  We would like to sincerely thank the casino for their leadership in sustainability and helping us divert the world's most littered item from landfill," said Nina Purewal General Manager, TerraCycle Canada. TerraCycle Canada currently offers over 20 waste-collection programs. To date, 2,225,019 Canadians have signed up and diverted 46,446,119 units of waste from landfill and donated more than $240,000 to schools or charities. For more information and to sign up, visit www.terracycle.ca.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Nashville Clean Water Project is working to clean up cigarette butts from the streets of downtown Nashville. “Cigarette butts are the number one most polluted item in the world,” said Mark Thien. “It's the most littered item here in Nashville, as well.” The organization has teamed up with global company TerraCycle to recycle cigarette butts from the Nashville area. “It's actually a free program to participate in. The only cost is pulling out a used box out of the waste stream that you would typically be sending to the dump, or through your recycling program,” Thien. Nashville Clean Water Project provides the postage each month to send the cigarette butts to TerraCycle. Two of downtown Nashville’s biggest venues have signed on to the project. The Nashville Predators began collecting butts at Bridgestone Arena in February. “I believe they've shipped off somewhere just short of a hundred pounds of cigarette butts, which, pound for pound, there's about 1,000 cigarette butts per pound,” according to Thien. Music City Center has only collected cigarette butts for a month and the convention center has already generated 10,000 butts for the program. Thien said the reason behind his organization’s push to collect cigarette butts comes because of the environmental threat they pose to the area’s waterways. “At the first rainfall, those butts are going straight into our rivers and creeks, and the Cumberland River, as well,” said Thien. Once TerraCycle receives the collected butts, the company transforms the waste. “The filters are mixed with the recyclable plastic, then it's injection molded into shipping pallets,” explained Thien. The group is trying to recruit more companies and organizations to collect cigarette butts and recycle them. Anyone interested can send an email to butts@NashvilleH2o.org to get more information.

Recycling, upcycling, reuse: olyan kifejezések, amit egy magát kicsit is trendinek és tudatosnak tartó városlakó biztosan ismer, beszélje a világ bármelyik nyelvét. Az újrahasznosítás legnagyobb úttörői közt tartják számon a magyar származású, USA-ban ténykedő Tom Szaky-t, akinek cége, a TerraCycle a leglehetetlenebb hulladékokat is összegyűjti és újrahasznosítja. A kezdeményezésnek köszönhetően eddig több mint másfél millió egységnyi összegyűjtött szemét került jó helyre Magyarországon - olvasható a TerraCycle sajtóközleményében.

Recycling, upcycling, reuse: olyan kifejezések, amit egy magát kicsit is trendinek és tudatosnak tartó városlakó biztosan ismer, beszélje a világ bármelyik nyelvét. Az újrahasznosítás legnagyobb úttörői közt tartják számon a magyar származású, USA-ban ténykedő Tom Szaky-t, akinek cége, a TerraCycle a leglehetetlenebb hulladékokat is összegyűjti és újrahasznosítja. A kezdeményezésnek köszönhetően eddig több mint másfél millió egységnyi összegyűjtött szemét került jó helyre Magyarországon.

Eltörölni a szemét fogalmát – ez a világszerte több mint húsz országban működő, mára már befutott startup, a TerraCycle célkitűzése. A cég arról ismert, hogy neves gyártókkal összefogva a legextrémebb hulladéktípusokat is újrahasznosítja, legyen szó üdítős tasakokról vagy koszos pelenkáról.

Balatonakarattyán a környezettudatosság is középpontba kerül. Európa első újrahasznosító fesztiválját rendezik meg július 2–6. között a magyar tenger partján: a második Everness Fesztiválon az öntudatosság és a környezettudatosság egyaránt hívószó. Az egészséges életmód, az alternatív gyógyá­szat, a pszichológia éppúgy terítékre kerül az eseményen, mint a környezettudatosság, az újrahasznosítás és a jövő zöld technikái.

Nagy tisztelője vagyok Tom Szakynak, a TerraCycle alapítójának, aki a fejébe vette, hogy megszünteti a szemét fogalmát. Mit is tesz a TerraCycle ennek érdekében?