- Title: Brazilian initiative seeks to make cigarette butt recycling mainstream
- Date: 15th March 2017
- Summary: VOTORANTIM, SAO PAULO, BRAZIL (RECENT - MARCH 07, 2017) (REUTERS) CIGARETTE BUTTS VARIOUS OF PEOPLE SMOKING WOMAN PUTTING OUT BUTT IN ASHTRAY ASHTRAY VARIOUS OF WORKER COLLECTING BUTTS VARIOUS OF WORKER SEPARATING BUTTS VARIOUS OF WORKER PUTTING BUTTS IN CONTAINER PERSON MOVING LIQUID IN CONTAINER WITH BUTTS OWNER OF RECYCLING COMPANY, MARCOS POIATO, TALKING TO WORKER (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) OWNER OF RECYCLING COMPANY, MARCOS POIATO, SAYING: "The most common piece of rubbish thrown on the streets all over the world (butts) has a very big environmental impact. It is very toxic, there are 8,680 toxic substances in this rubbish and when it is in contact with water, with sun or air it can generate serious environmental problems and will bring consequences for future generations in health. And so treating this rubbish is a matter of public health." VARIOUS OF BUTTS BEING REMOVED FROM WATER VARIOUS OF WORKERS WASHING BUTTS (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) OWNER OF RECYCLING COMPANY, MARCOS POIATO, SAYING: "We have an absurd disposal system for cigarette butts. We have collected more than 18 million butts. To make an A4 sheet of paper we need 35 to 50 cigarette butts. In this method we are changing the product which brings an environmental gain for our society." VARIOUS OF BUTTS BEING PRESSED VARIOUS OF BUTTS DRYING (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) OWNER OF RECYCLING COMPANY, MARCOS POIATO, SAYING: "It is a different way of presenting this rubbish to society. It is getting us more suppliers (of butts) because by not throwing it in the ashtray they are not contributing to pollution in water, contaminating earth and other things associated with this problem." TEACHER IN CLASS VARIOUS OF STUDENTS MAKING PAPER OUT OF BUTTS STUDENTS PAINTING ON PAPER MADE OUT OF BUTTS (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) 10-YEAR-OLD STUDENT, ALEX NICOLAS, SAYING: "It (butts) causes harm to many people. Many people smoke and now you have this paper to do many things with." STUDENTS PAINTING ON PAPER MADE OUT OF BUTTS
- Embargoed: 29th March 2017 15:23
- Keywords: recycling cigarettes paper
- Location: VOTORANTIM, SAO PAULO, BRAZIL
- City: VOTORANTIM, SAO PAULO, BRAZIL
- Country: Brazil
- Topics: Pollution,Environment
- Reuters ID: LVA001682MR0J
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A recycling company in Brazil's Sao Paulo state has set up the first cigarette butt recycling plant in the country, collecting thousands of pieces of the litter by hand from streets and gutters to change popular habits.
Marcos Poiato runs the recycling plant in the Brazilian city of Votorantim that converts butts to paper.
He was inspired to set up the recycling process after realising the grave damage butts are causing the environment. According to reports, one butt can contaminate a litre of water. Trillions of butts are dropped every year.
With nearly 9,000 toxins in one butt, Poiato said the need for action was clear.
"The most common piece of rubbish thrown on the streets all over the world (butts) has a very big environmental impact. It is very toxic, there are 8,680 toxic substances in this rubbish and when it is in contact with water, with sun or air it can generate serious environmental problems and will bring consequences for future generations in health. And so treating this rubbish is a matter of public health," he said.
In the recycling process, butts are cleaned in water to remove toxins and chemicals, dried and pressed. They are then heated in a cauldron and left to dry for up to six hours where they are finally converted into paper.
Poiato said that as little as 35 butts can produce a sheet of A4 paper.
"We have an absurd disposal system for cigarette butts. We have collected more than 18 million butts. To make an A4 sheet of paper we need 35 to 50 cigarette butts. In this method we are changing the product which brings an environmental gain for our society," he added.
Poiato is hoping to change popular thinking towards the simple cigarette butt, to encourage smokers to hand in their butts to his recycling plant and contribute to a cleaner environment.
"It is a different way of presenting this rubbish to society. It is getting us more suppliers (of butts) because by not throwing it in the ashtray they are not contributing to pollution in water, contaminating earth and other things associated with this problem," he said.
The butt recycling project evolved from a partnership with the University of Brasilia which started researching recycling methods in 2002.
To spread his recycling message, local school children are doing their bit in the classroom to raise awareness.
"It (butts) causes harm to many people. Many people smoke and now you have this paper to do many things with," said 10-year-old student, Alex Nicolas.
While no official statistic exists for the number of cigarettes smoked in Brazil, up to six trillion cigarettes are smoked every year with their butts littering the environment in the USA alone, according to the US-based National Institute of Health. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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