Private companies are launching programs that not only encourage people to pick up the butts but also recycle them. Contrary to what many smokers may think, cigarette filters are not biodegradable: They are made with a plastic that can leach their toxic chemicals into the environment. In July, TerraCycle will begin providing free UPS shipping labels — paid for by an unnamed American tobacco company — so people can mail in butts they've collected. TerraCycle will turn the butts into plastic pallets for industrial use. Today, Eco-Tech Displays is starting a company, Cigarette Butt Litter Dream Recycling, to transform butts into products such as jewelry, vases and guitar picks. It collects the butts from hundreds of ashtrays that it has placed outside bars and restaurants in New York City, New Jersey and Chicago.

(USA TODAY) - Recycling has moved far beyond paper and plastic to tackle the nation's top litter problem: cigarette butts. Private companies are launching programs that not only encourage people to pick up the butts but also recycle them. Contrary to what many smokers may think, cigarette filters are not biodegradable: They are made with a plastic that can leach their toxic chemicals into the environment. In July, TerraCycle will begin providing free UPS shipping labels - paid for by an unnamed American tobacco company - so people can mail in butts they've collected. TerraCycle will turn the butts into plastic pallets for industrial use. Today, Eco-Tech Displays is starting a company, Cigarette Butt Litter Dream Recycling, to transform butts into products such as jewelry, vases and guitar picks. It collects the butts from hundreds of ashtrays that it has placed outside bars and restaurants in New York City, New Jersey and Chicago.

There's a company that desperately wants your used butts. Starting in July, TerraCycle will provide free UPS shipping labels (postage paid by a shadowy, unnamed U.S. tobacco company) so people can mail in their cigarette remnants for recycling. Why care about the butts? Like the rest of the cancer stick, the end is toxic, made with a plastic that emits dangerous chemicals into the environment, and it doesn't biodegrade. The discarded butts will be turned into plastic pallets for industrial use. Just make sure your ciggies are thoroughly snuffed before mailing. We don't want the already-struggling Postal Service to go up in smoke.

Albe Zakes, Global VP, Media Relations for TerraCycle Inc., the key takeaways from his presentation given at the 2012 Consumer Goods Sales & Marketing Summit.

Albe Zakes, Global VP, Media Relations for TerraCycle Inc., summarizes the core message of his presentation given at the 2012 Consumer Goods Sales & Marketing Summit.

Attention smokers, don’t dump your stinky cigarette butts in the garbage,  you can now send them in free of charge to be recycled. Why? The filters are poisonous, and cigarette company’s want them back. According to MSN  Starting in July, TerraCycle will provide free UPS shipping labels (postage paid by a , unnamed U.S. tobacco company) so people can ship their butts to be recycled and made into plastic pallets. My question is how many people will bother doing this? Storing up enough of them to send in, and then bring them to a store to be shipped? It seems that people for the most part are more conscientious about where they throw their cigarettes than a few years ago, but you can still see them littered all over the streets. If you want to do your part to save mother Earth and not have them end up in a land fill somewhere now you have another option.

Some companies plan on launching programs that will encourage people to recycle cigarette butts. Cigarette butts are not biodegradable. Beginning in July, TerraCycle, a small business based in Trenton, New Jersey, will provide free shipping so people can mail in butts they've collected. Then the butts will be recycled into plastic pallets.