AFFEW placing cigarette butt recycling receptacles around area.

AFFEW placing cigarette butt recycling receptacles around area.

LUDINGTON — Billions of cigarette butts litter shorelines, parks and sidewalks across the U.S. and once in the environment, take up to 10 years to decompose. A Few Friends for the Environment of the World (AFFEW), a Mason County-based group focused on combating local environmental issues to promote a healthier ecosystem, is offering its community a way to keep cigarette butts off the beach and out of landfills through TerraCycle’s Cigarette Waste Zero Waste Receptacles.

According to Julia Chambers, President and co-founder of AFFEW, she became interested in TerraCycle’s recycling solutions when she saw TerraCycle’s Zero Waste boxes at ArtPrize, an arts festival in Grand Rapids. Following the Community Foundation for Mason County wish list drive, AFFEW reviewed is current objectives and decided to purchase six cigarette waste receptacles with funds donated by Chrissie and Dave Hall of Hamlin Township, and place them at the Mason County District Library Ludington branch, on Ludington Avenue, in Stearns Park and in the Ludington State Park in effort to reduce the town’s cigarette waste.

“AFFEW sponsors beach sweeps four times a year in Ludington. We usually find over 400 cigarette butts in half mile beach area,” explained Chambers. “The community will be excited about these receptacles and to hear about how the cigarette butts are recycled. It’s our hope that actions such as the installation of the TerraCycle Cigarette Waste Zero Waste Receptacles will create attitudes in the public which will help maintain the health of the local area and planet.”

Traditionally, a combination of organic material and cetyl acetate plastic render cigarette butts un-recyclable and destined for landfills. However, through the TerraCycle Cigarette Waste Zero Waste Box program, individuals and organizations can ship these to TerraCycle for recycling into usable material for new products at no cost.

  Any individual or groups interested in reducing local landfill waste can learn more about TerraCycle Cigarette Waste Zero Waste Box program at www.terracycle.com.