PANAMA CITY BEACH — More than half of the cigarettes smoked in the U.S. are disposed of improperly.
In an attempt to shift that trend, Pier Park in Panama City Beach has launched an innovative effort to keep cigarette waste off area streets and out of landfills and waterways.
Through a partnership with worldwide recycling pioneer TerraCycle, the shopping center recently signed on to participate in a Cigarette Waste Brigade, in which cigarette butts are collected and recycled into plastic pellets for industrial use.
“It is one of the most littered items in the world,” said Lauren Taylor, director of U.S. public relations for TerraCycle. “According to the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup Day, it’s always the number one item recovered.”
TerraCycle launched its cigarette brigade last year and has received an overwhelming response from organizations wanting to get involved.
“We’ve collected just under 6 million units, and we have about 3,800 locations signed up to collect,” Taylor said. “We’re really excited Pier Park is getting involved because there are obviously a lot of smokers who dispose of their waste there.”
As part of the program at Pier Park, cigarette butts are recovered from the shopping center’s many ash trays and sent to TerraCycle for recycling.
TerraCycle’s Cigarette Waste Brigade is the world’s first cigarette recycling program, with more than a ton of cigarette butts collected since its inception.
For every pound of waste collected through the program, TerraCycle also donates a dollar to Keep America Beautiful, a nonprofit organization working to promote sustainability in communities across the country.
“Pier Park is proud to be part of this innovative nationwide recycling effort,” said mall manager Brent Gardner. “This exemplifies our dedication to creating a more sustainable environment both locally and nationally for generations to come.”
Founded in 2001, TerraCycle works with about 100 major brands in the U.S. and in 22 other countries to collect and repurpose materials that would otherwise end up in landfills.
“We collect everything from cheese packs to glue sticks and glue bottles to personal care and beauty,” Taylor said. “We have a lot of schools that sign up to collect things that are common in their cafeterias, or offices that sign up to recycle writing utensils.”
Taylor said TerraCycle’s programs are easy to sign up for on the organization’s website www.terracycle.com.
Most programs, including the Cigarette Waste Brigade, are free to participate in. The cigarette collection program is limited to adults 21 and older, with shipping costs paid for by the Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company.
“We’ve been getting some really great feedback from people who are excited about it,” Taylor said. “People are really excited to finally have a way to dispose of the related waste.”