Company develops biodegradable cigarette butts
According to the company, cigarette butts are the number one source of garbage in the world
Disposing of cigarette butts incorrectly, unfortunately, is still a very common act around the world, even more if we consider the impressive number of 1.6 billion smokers worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). But there is a company that tried something unusual to alleviate the damage that such an act can cause: producing cigarette butts from natural fibers and without the use of any harmful chemical or artificial binder. The company in question is the Greenbutts (Green Butts, in free translation).
Greenbutts found that five trillion cigarette butts become waste every year and most are made from synthetic filters and resistant to degradation. Also according to the company, a cigarette butt can take 10 to 15 years to undo, as it is produced from cellulose acetate, a synthetic material that is difficult to degrade (see more "Cigarette butt: a great environmental villain )".
In 2012, the International Coastal Cleanup, an institution that defends ocean cleanliness and reports on the main offending waste found in coastal areas, released 25 years of data (from 1987-2012), which indicate that cigarettes and their butts are the most common type of garbage found and collected in the world in such environments. The minimum amount of collection of these wastes is twice that of any other category.
Knowing of such data, the Greenbutts decided to file a patent for a filter made from a mixture of natural materials such as linen, hemp, cotton and natural starch-based binder.
The difference between the synthetic cellulose acetate cigarette filter and the Greenbutts of natural fibers is that if filters happen to be irresponsibly discarded, those made with natural components will quickly disintegrate, preventing the creation of even more pollution.
The company's objective is to provide the Greenbutts as an option on the market in the year 2014. It will be sold internationally as an alternative to cellulose acetate filters.
Check out the video below (in English) for more information:
