The Downtown Campbell River Business Improvement Association has joined up with TerraCycle to help keep downtown cleaner.
TerraCycle specializes in collecting and repurposing hard-to-recycle materials. That includes cigarette butts, which is the target of the new venture by the two groups.
The initiative is to install 11 cigarette recycling receptacles downtown, the contents of which are shipped to TerraCycle and processed into plastic pellets for use in recycled products. Any remaining tobacco is composted.
“I attended a BIABC (Business Improvement Areas of British Columbia) Conference where I learned about TerraCycle,” said Jan Wade, a representative from Downtown Campbell River Business Improvement Association. “Campbell River is surrounded by Discovery Passage and countless lakes, rivers, and creeks. We want to help stop the harmful cigarette filters from making their way into these waters. Plus, the filters can be recycled!”
When processed, the paper and tobacco are separated from the filter and composted. The filter is recycled into plastic pellets, which manufacturers can use to make several products, such as shipping pallets, ashtrays, and park benches.
The cigarette butts from Campbell River join the hundreds of millions that have been recycled by TerraCycle around the world.
That’s on top of the more than eight billion pieces of waste that were once considered non-recyclable.
RELATED: Downtown BIA tackles cigarette butt problem
marc.kitteringham@campbellrivermirror.com
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