Kingstonist April 02, 2019
City of Kingston installs 20 cigarette waste recycling receptacles
One of the 20 newly-installed cigarette waste recycling receptacles. The City of Kingston installed the cigarette butt disposal units on Tuesday, April. 2, 2019. Submitted photo. Another of the newly-installed Terracycle cigarette waste recycling receptacles installed by the City of Kingston on Tuesday, Apr. 2, 2019. Submitted photo. Kingston Transit users and those who frequent the downtown core might notice some new cigarette butt receptacles have been installed along their regular routes. And while they may look like any ordinary cigarette butt disposal bins, these receptacles are actually just the first step in a bigger process – and one that diverts the waste of spent cigarettes from landfills entirely.
On Tuesday, Apr. 2, 2019, the City of Kingston installed 20 new cigarette butt recycling receptacles throughout the downtown core. Designed by Terracycle, the cigarette disposal receptacles collect cigarette butts, which are then sent to Terracycle to be recycled – the remaining tobacco is composted, and the cigarette butts themselves are recycled into a variety of industrial products, such as plastic pellets. The receptacles have been installed at transit hubs, certain Kingston Transit Express Route stops, and common downtown gathering places.
“We are working to keep the downtown and transit hubs clean. This is about encouraging people to dispose of cigarette butts in a tidy and environmentally friendly way,” said Troy Stubinski, manager of public works operations for the City of Kingston.
According to Sarah Withrow, communications officer with the City of Kingston, after purchasing the receptacles at $100 per unit, there will be no cost to the City to have the cigarette butts recycled.
“Receptacles will be collected by staff on existing trash collection routes. Aside from the $100 per unit to purchase the receptacles, there is no cost to the program,” she said.