Eco entrepreneur Tom Szaky believes some of the profits reported by the corporate world are absurd. His own company, TerraCycle, has given $20 million to charities over ten years and each year processes 50 million kilograms of waste. This year the company, with 120 staff, will bring in $25 million or more but will only keep 1% as profit.

Cigarette butts collected as part of Clean Up Australia day will be able to be recycled for the first time. Thousands of Australians will help clean up the nation today, and every location taking part in the event will receive a satchel for the butts.

CIGARETTE WASTE IS NOW RECYCLABLE IN AUSTRALIA

TerraCycle's Cigarette Waste Recycling Program launches nationally on Clean Up Australia Day

Sydney, 2 March 2014 – For the very first time, cigarettes can now be recycled in Australia. An innovative solution developed by TerraCycle will help eliminate cigarette waste, diverting it from litter and landfills and turning it into new sustainable materials.   More than 6,000 Australia Post satchels have been circulated for Clean Up Australia events, allowing volunteers, including businesses and community groups to safely collect cigarette waste on Clean Up Australia Day and send it to TerraCycle to be recycled. The program will then continue beyond this great event. Any group, workplace or individual over the age of 18 can sign-up to the Cigarette Waste Brigade® and collect cigarette waste at home or work, and send it to TerraCycle at no cost, to have it recycled into industrial products such as plastic shipping pallets and railway sleepers. For every kilogram of cigarette waste that TerraCycle receives, $2.00 will be donated to the collectors’ nominated charity. The Cigarette Waste Brigade® enables consumers to take responsibility for their cigarette waste. TerraCycle's Cigarette Waste Brigade® programs currently run in eight other countries. Tackling cigarette waste demonstrates TerraCycle’s belief that everything can and should be recycled! TerraCycle CEO and Founder, Tom Szaky said “TerraCycle takes up a challenge by recycling difficult waste streams that others deem worthless and turns them into new sustainable materials.” Cigarette butts are not biodegradable and do not break down quickly.  The Cigarette Waste Brigade® will make this pervasive waste recyclable for the first time in Australia. Tobacco companies, British American Tobacco, Imperial Tobacco Australia and Philip Morris Ltd, saw this program as one way of addressing the problem of cigarette waste and are providing funding to run the program. TerraCycle Australia will also collect other difficult to recycle waste streams, working with major brands: Colgate to recycle used toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes and other oral care waste, Natures Organics to recycle used cleaning, laundry and beauty packaging waste, and with Nespresso to expand their recycling program for their coffee capsules. Tom Szaky will also be speaking about TerraCycle recycling programs at community lectures at the University of Sydney (3 March) and Australia Post, Melbourne (5 March).

A recycling company is encouraging smokers to collect their used butts so they can be turned into new products. TerraCycle Australia has joined with Australia Post so people can post their waste - free of charge - from anywhere in Australia. Spokesperson Anna Minns told 3AW Breakfast they now operate in eight countries.

You may have already heard in the news today that there is a new recycling scheme for cigarettes butt what does that have to do with water? In short, a lot! Cigarette’s are by far the most common form of litter in Australia, making up for 11% of the rubbish that was picked up during Clean Up Australia Day in 2013. In the ACT alone, the amount of cigarette butts collected was 13% more than the previous year. This is a growing problem!

SMOKERS can now send dirty ashtray contents through the mail in a recycling deal struck with Australia Post. Households, restaurants, other businesses and community groups are being urged to stash butts, ash, inner foils and outer packaging in secured plastic bags or containers before dispatching sealed boxes to a recycling specialist free of charge.

TerraCycle has partnered with major brands Colgate and Natures Organics to recycle their “unrecyclable” post-consumer waste, and with Nespresso to expand their recycling program. Australians can now send in their previously difficult-to-recycle waste to TerraCycle to be recycled into sustainable consumer products and materials.

TerraCycle, which runs national recycling programs called "Brigades" to collect, recycle and process problem waste, has launched in Australia. The company's recycling system currently operates in 23 companies including the US, Canada, the UK and New Zealand. In Australia, TerraCycle has partnered with a few major brands including Colgate and Natures Organics to recycle their "unrecyclable" post-consumer waste. It has also partnered with Nespresso to expand their recycling program.

Global recycling company TerraCycle, which currently operates in 23 countries including the US, Canada, the UK and New Zealand, has officially launched in Australia.

APC signatories Colgate and Natures Organics are on board for the TerraCycle Australia launch. TerraCycle will be helping to recycle previously unrecyclable or recyclable, but with lost value, post-consumer products and packaging through recycling programs called brigades. In some cases collectors can earn points to raise money for their local school or favourite charity and cause.