Cigarette Butts are the most commonly littered item in Australia, particularly outside city offices and they are the 4th most deadly pollutant in the oceans after Fishing Nets, Plastic bags & plastic utensils and balloons. Clean Up Australia has a new initiative in attempt to minimise cigarette butt waste. Smokers can dispose of their cigarette butts in a free specially marked Australia Post satchel and send them in to be responsibly disposed. Apply online at Clean Up Australia to receive a free cigarette butt collection satchel.Cigarette butts collected by Clean Up Australia will be sent to TerraCycle, an international upcycling and recycling company. Extinguished cigarettes, cigarette filters, rolling paper, ash, and inner foil packaging are accepted through the TerraCycle cigarette recycling scheme. Cardboard packaging can be placed in your council recycling bin.
Cigarette butts collected by Clean Up Australia are sent to TerraCycle who recycle the butts. By exposing the butts to gamma radiation, plastic, organic matter are able to be separated. The plastic is able to be recycled to make industrial plastic products, including shipping pallets, railway sleepers and ashtrays.The organic materials are disposed of through industrial composting.