Cigarette Butt Recycling Program.
What if cigarette butts were an item recyclers could cash in on? What if this litter could be reclaimed and used again and again? What if introducing a monetary gain to recycle cigarette butts (like those of cans, bottles, and other waste) is a perfect solution to this ugly problem?
Q1: Do you think a financial incentive to collect cigarette butts would reduce cigarette litter?
Idea Description
I believe that with an incentive to recyclers to recycle cigarette butts, we'd see fewer polluting our planet. They're everywhere (abundance!), they're light to carry, and smokers themselves might even see a benefit to offsetting the high cost of their habit by recycling as well.
In fact, a cigarette butt recycling program (tied in with education of the issue) could spawn a wildfire of new collection programs that could make the biggest positive impact to this problem we've ever seen. No such program currently exists! The filters could then be sold back to the Tobacco Industry for reuse... further funding this idea and creating a cleaner, more beautiful and safer planet for all.
What will you do if you win $10,000 for this idea?
$10K would allow me to:
- Hire chemical engineers to conclude that filters could in fact be reclaimed and reused (and the process needed/environmental impact viability to do so).
- Build a website for education about the recycling programs.
- Establish strategic relationships with State and private groups already recycling waste.
- Hold a local butt challenge/contest to get the idea on the map.
- Legal fees to establish an entity.
- Hopefully establish agreements with Tobacco brokers/manufacturers to buy back their litter.
- Stretch these winning dollars as far as possible!
Vote for it now.
I like your idea; I want to improve your odds of getting funding I will vote for your idea if you will vote for mine. My idea is for a web site that raises money for inventors and entrepreneurs called New Idea website Check out my idea blob submission and visit New Idea Website and see what I can do for you. http://www.ideablob.com/ideas/4060-NEW-IDEA-WEBSITE The need for jobs is one of the biggest problems that a democratic government faces because creating jobs is an unwanted byproduct of business and industry. The reason I say its unwanted is the more jobs a business creates the more its expenses are and the smaller it’s bottom-line. If business and industry have their way they would run their companies with no jobs at all no management or labor. To deal with this dilemma I pr…moreopose a federal venture capital carrot fund that literally pays entrepreneurs to create jobs. The investment bank would be expected invest in seed level startup projects like yours and to lose money at a specified dollar per jobs ratio for example during hard times that figure may be as high as $20,000 per job and good times the figure may be as low as five dollars per job, by controlling this ratio the fed could roughly control unemployment. The bank will be expected to fund novel products and services and stay away from things like restaurants that will simply draw jobs from other restaurants or moving factories from one part of the country to another. If you like this idea vote for it and send the congressional letter from the website. Sincerely Frank Scruggs
It's not about recycling so much as giving people incentive to not toss them all over the place without care. Instead give those who wish to collect or save the butts a way to make a little extra coin. One of the reasons we don't see cans and bottles all over the place is that there are people who will take the time to pick them up and haul them over to a recycling place for then extra money. So, yes! this idea is going in the right direction...... keep the ball rolling "One Buck".
o by the way if you want to contact he here is my email tpxairlinea@gmail.com -Ben
Im on the same page as you man, ive had this same idea but with a different way to recycle them, i dont think that the companies are going to buy them back since it is very cheap to but them in the first place, its like 500 filters for about $3-5.00 so they can probably get them cheaper than that, but the idea is there we just need to figure out the best way to get this done
As an ex-smoker, the thought of recycling smelly cigarette butts makes me want to puke! Why don't we recycle sanitary napkins, tampons, stinky diapers or condoms! I think some these "green ideas" are getting "out of hand"!
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I certainly can relate to the distaste for all of the cigarette butts that litter the planet and I like the idea of offering an incentive to reduce the litter. However, there are a number of issues here that you must consider before it can be a success. The first immediate issue that comes to mind is that most people throw cigarette butts on the ground or out their car window in order to snuff them out. There’s a fire hazard to consider if individuals are inclined to hold onto the cigarette filters. Perhaps a recycling program could offer small canisters that safely and quickly snuff out the filters. The canisters would need to be fire proof obviously, perhaps fit in an individual’s pocket and be able to contain the odor of cigarettes. I think odor and fire hazard are your two bi…moreggest obstacles to overcome. My other big concern is that it doesn’t address the health hazards of smoking alone. We all know that smoking is bad for one’s health and offering further ways to make it easier or financially rewarding for smokers will not help curb smoking. By giving people money back for smoking, it provides them with the money to buy more cigarettes and continue to promote the problem. Lastly, as you state in your analysis, there needs to be some understanding as to what the used cigarette filters could be recycled for and who would perform the work. Would this be done through a local municipality or by a private firm? There are also the questions about cost/benefit and whether in the end it winds up being beneficial to the recycling firm, the overall environment and smokers. Don’t get me wrong, I like your idea, but just think it needs a lot more research and analysis to determine how to make it work. I’m concerned that the above issues may prevent a successful program based upon fire hazards, odor, inconvenience to the smoker and overall business case. There would have to be a significant cash incentive for the smokers to hold onto used filters in a canister or other method. Keep up the brainstorming and good luck with these smart ideas!