TORONTO, March 1, 2021 /CNW/ - Unsmoke Canada and international recycling leader, TerraCycle are launching a multi-year, community-based recycling partnership to collect and recycle the world's most littered item: cigarette butts.
In Canada, an estimated 8,000 tonnes of cigarette butts are littered each year, the majority within three metres of an ashtray. Contrary to popular belief, cigarette butts are non-biodegradable and contain filters made from cellulose acetate, which can take up to 15 years to decompose. The free, national UNSMOKE Cigarette Recycling Program will aim to divert hundreds of thousands of butts each month from the ground and landfills.
The new partnership builds on the work Unsmoke Canada began in 2019 to combat littering in local communities. A pillar of Unsmoke Canada is to reduce smoking and, consequently, the effect it has on people, on communities and on the environment.
"We want to build a smoke-free future, which is a future without cigarettes. This has an impact not only on people but also on communities and on the environment. This partnership is an example of how we are making tangible and measurable improvements to the problem of cigarette butt littering," said Vasie Papadopoulos, Communications Manager at Rothman's Benson & Hedges Inc., the company which started Unsmoke Canada. "We are looking forward to working with TerraCycle and communities to help clean up and appropriately recycle cigarette litter."
All cigarette butts collected through the UNSMOKE Cigarette Recycling Program will be shipped to TerraCycle for recycling. When processed, the paper and tobacco are separated from the filter and composted. The filter is then recycled into plastic pellets which can be used by manufacturers to create products such as shipping pallets, ashtrays and park benches.
Through the cigarette recycling program, Unsmoke Canada intends to expand on TerraCycle's efforts, which since the conception for the program in 2012, has collected over 155 million cigarette butts, engaged more than 5,000 collection points across Canada and distributed in excess of 1,550 cigarette butt recycling receptacles across ten provinces.
"TerraCycle's cigarette recycling programs have already had great success across Canada," said Tom Szaky, Founder and CEO of TerraCycle. "This partnership with Unsmoke Canada will create even more opportunities for Canadians to dispose of their cigarettes in a responsible way, helping to keep shorelines, sidewalks and communities clean."
To join the UNSMOKE Cigarette Recycling Program, community organizations can sign up on the TerraCycle program page here. For every pound of cigarette waste collected by the program, Unsmoke Canada will donate $1 to the community group's non-profit or charity of choice.
"The message of Unsmoke Canada is clear – if you don't smoke, don't start. If you smoke, quit. If you don't quit, change," said Papadopoulos. "Unsmoke Canada is committed to a smoke-free future, one without cigarettes. That starts by getting Canadians to butt out entirely – and to clean the streets of cigarette litter. This partnership is about creating a smoke-free and waste-free future."
About Unsmoke Canada
Unsmoke Canada is an initiative of Rothmans, Benson & Hedges Inc., an affiliate of Philip Morris International Inc. For more information visit http://www.unsmoke.ca.
About TerraCycle
TerraCycle® is an innovative waste management company with a mission to eliminate the idea of waste. Operating nationally across 20 countries, TerraCycle partners with leading consumer product companies, retailers and cities to recycle products and packages, from dirty diapers to cigarette butts, that would otherwise end up being landfilled or incinerated. In addition, TerraCycle works with leading consumer product companies to integrate hard to recycle waste streams, such as ocean plastic, into their products and packaging. Its new division, Loop, is the first shopping system that gives consumers a way to shop for their favorite brands in durable, reusable packaging. TerraCycle has won over 200 awards for sustainability and has donated over $44 million to schools and charities since its founding more than 15 years ago and was named #10 in Fortune magazine's list of 52 companies Changing the World. To learn more about TerraCycle or get involved in its recycling programs, please visit www.terracycle.ca.
SOURCE Rothmans, Benson & Hedges Inc.
Media Inquiries: Larysa Woloszansky, Media Relations, Tel: (416) 432-3621, [email protected]; Sarah Tratt, Media Relations, Tel: (416) 986-4432, E-mail: [email protected]; Sue Kauffman, TerraCycle, Tel: (609) 393-4252 x 3708, E-mail: [email protected]
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