Canada's largest casino and TerraCycle launch a new alliance to reduce cigarette waste

MONTREAL, April 22, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - In honour of Earth Month, TerraCycle and the nation's largest gaming facility- Casino de Montréal announce a new alliance to clean up and recycle Canada's most littered item-cigarette butts. The staff at Casino de Montréal will be collecting cigarette waste, separately from other garbage, in a dedicated effort to reduce the casino's impact on the environment.

Thanks to TerraCycle Canada's Cigarette Waste Brigade® program, used cigarette butts (as well as cigarette foil and plastic packaging waste) collected from the casino will be 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. This project is one of many initiatives undertaken by the Casino de Montreal to achieve its sustainable development action plan, "says Mr. Jacques Massé, Director of Administration of the institution.

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," says 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.

About TerraCycle:
TerraCycle, Inc. a Progressive Waste Solutions partner, takes difficult-to-recycle packaging and turns it into affordable & innovative products. Founded in 2001, TerraCycle is the world leader in the collection and reuse of non-recyclable post-consumer waste. It repurposes the waste into sustainable, affordable building materials and consumer products that are available for purchase online. In 23 countries, the waste is collected through TerraCycle's Brigade® programs, which donate money to schools and non-profits for every piece of waste participants collect and return. To learn more, visit www.terracycle.ca.

About Casino de Montréal:
Opened in 1993, the Casino de Montréal is the first and biggest gaming house operated by the Société des casinos du Québec. No one could imagine Montréal any longer without the elegant silhouette of its Casino — often compared to a great diamond adorning the shores of the St. Lawrence River. The Casino offers visitors over 2,700 slot machines, 117 gaming tables, 3 bars, 4 restaurants and a festive atmosphere night and day. Our facility has welcomed close to 115 million visitors over the past 20 years.

SOURCE: Casino de Montréal

Jay Reyes
Public Relations Manager
TerraCycle Canada
416.661.9676
[email protected]

Patrice Léger-Bourgoin
Chef des communications
Casino de Montréal
[phone], poste 4879
[email protected]