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Recycling Cigarette Butts into Asphalt

Posted on March 12, 2024March 12, 2024 by dishanth

Cigarette butts are the most littered item worldwide. Over 4.5 trillion cigarette butts pollute our environment every year. They do not easily biodegrade and are full of chemicals that are toxic to the wildlife that may ingest them. They are small individually, but they add up to a big problem. A waste management company in Bratislava, Slovakia, has found a new way of recycling cigarette butts, and that is by transforming cigarette butts into asphalt.

The environmental effect of cigarettes

More than 6 trillion cigarettes are smoked yearly around the world. You are probably familiar with how cigarettes cause air pollution due to the burning of tobacco, which releases harmful chemicals into the air. But did you know the butts from cigarettes are the most common form of personal litter in the world?

In the world total, cigarette butts make up more than one-third of litter. While cigarette butts may look like cotton, they are made of plastic fibers which are tightly packed together. And because they are made from man-made materials, they won’t organically break down into the environment.

Moreover, because cigarette butts are made of toxic chemicals when they are disposed of improperly, these chemicals (such as nicotine, lead, cadmium, and arsenic) will leach into the environment. The toxic chemicals can find their way into rivers, lakes, and oceans, harming aquatic life and contaminating water sources. There is also a risk of wildlife mistaking cigarette butts for food, accidentally injesting them.

Transforming cigarette butts into asphalt

A municipal waste management company in Bratislava, Slovakia, is pioneering a new way of recycling cigarette butts. At the end of 2023, the company trialed special containers designed to collect standard cigarette filters and those found in modern heated tobacco devices like vapes. And placed them around the city.

In collaboration with companies SPAK-EKO and EcoButt, the Bratislava City Council will be recycling cigarette butts to use the discarded materials to create asphalt for roads. Once the filters have been collected from the specialized bins, they will undergo a cleaning process to remove toxins and any residual tobacco. The cleaned filters are composed of cellulose acetate from the filters, which are then transformed into fine fibers. The fibers are mixed with traditional asphalt materials, which help with the asphalt’s durability and longevity.

The final product can be used just like conventional asphalt for creating new roads or repairing existing ones.

This isn’t the first time Slovakia is recycling cigarette butts into asphalt to be used on their roads. Their first cigarette filter road is located in Ziar and Hronom and was the first in the world.

With this program, cities in Slovakia can encourage people not only to stop throwing their cigarette butts on the ground, where they will do harm to the environment. But this project can also show people how they can participate in sustainable urban development.

Recycling cigarette butts into asphalt can also help reduce the environmental impact of the construction industry. The production of asphalt involves heating and mixing aggregates with bitumen, a petroleum-based binder. This process releases greenhouse gases and other air pollutants, contributing to air quality issues and climate change.

Rainwater runoff from asphalt surfaces can carry pollutants, such as oil, heavy metals, and chemicals from vehicle exhaust, into waterways, potentially contaminating aquatic ecosystems. Recycling cigarette butts in the asphalt may help absorb and reduce many of these environmental harms and could change how we construct our roads.

Cigarettes might not be disappearing in the very near future, but we can find ways to make them less damaging to our planet and help cities be a little cleaner. Providing users with these specialized cigarette butt bins is one way to keep cigarette butts off the ground and out of our waters. And repurposing these butts is one way we can support a circular model and reuse and repurpose our resources.

Slovakia has a very innovative plan, and we hope it catches on around the world.

Source Happy Eco News

What corporations can learn from grassroot non-profits to achieve true sustainability

Posted on December 20, 2023December 20, 2023 by dishanth

In this thought-provoking article, Benjamin Western, Head of Sustainability at certification, assurance, and expert trainer LRQA, explores the surprising synergy between non-profits and large-scale enterprises in the pursuit of sustainability.

In the Greek island of Lesvos during the refugee crisis, thousands of people forced into the life of being a refugee, found temporary shelter before moving on to somewhere more permanent. Many were provided with blankets provided by large global non-governmental organisations (NGOs). It was here, while working with a charity I was part of founding called Indigo Volunteers, that I saw a grassroots idea that has impacted how I see the world.

As people moved to other locations, most were unable to take their donated blankets with them due to having such limited space to carry belongings. Add to that the fact the blankets were not designed for reuse, and the vast majority ended up going to landfill, despite only being used a handful of times. Thankfully, we came across a remarkable grassroots charity that tackled this challenge head on.

The group called themselves “The Dirty Girls” and had a mission to help those in need while reducing the amount of waste that went to landfill. They did this by collecting abandoned blankets and cleaning them for redistribution. It’s a story of how a group of independent volunteers, without the funds or infrastructure of large NGOs, built something from the ground-up that saved significant money, and prevented further waste going to landfill. The lesson here is about collaboration, innovation, and integrity.

Integrity is doing the right thing, not finding the easiest solution. In this situation it is far easier to distribute single use blankets. This is what the large NGOs did. This is what almost all corporations would do. But the team knew it needed to address the infrastructure to find a solution that was cheaper and had a lower environmental impact.

The Dirty Girls did this through collaboration with the dozens of other grassroot organisations on the Island, as well as large NGOs. They built a network with small businesses who were willing to help at a reduced price, and of course, in understanding the reality and context of people forced into the life of a refugee.

Honesty and transparency: key to progress

In the corporate world, the work I am part of drives meaningful action on sustainability, in large part by finding those overlapping areas between environmental and business goals. I’ve seen how internal transparency can help avoid accusations of wrongdoing and accelerate corporate progress on environmental issues.

Honesty within business is required to better understand what’s working well, what’s not, and why that might be. Proactively sharing knowledge and experiences in an interdepartmental setting are fundamental for working towards a collective goal, and transparency, even in cases of failure, must become standard practice. In these cases, transparency about why shortcomings have happened – and the thought processes and decisions that led to that outcome – is key to progress.

Best practices

It’s impossible to properly consider a company’s ESG progress as if it exists in a vacuum. Every company has suppliers, and there’s a level of interdependency when it comes to sustainability. If one company can reduce its own emissions to zero, the reality is that, without helping the supply chain make progress, we’ll barely scratch the surface.

We can lead the way, though. Establishing best practices internally can set a company up for environmental success. These best practices include establishing a means of sharing successes and failures – and the thinking that lead to them – so good ideas can spread and less helpful ones can be avoided.

My hope is that departments and leaders can learn from one-another when it comes to reducing their impact on the environment. As one sub-team figures out what works, they can share that knowledge, and others within the business can follow suit. Similarly, if a particular practice is found to be ineffective, others can learn from them and work towards finding methods that advance their environmental goals.

Collaboration is the cornerstone of the approach that we take at LRQA. Our stance is clear: in a connected world, integrity, innovation and collaboration are vital. Companies must pool their insights to navigate global challenges. To do that, there needs to be a shift in corporate mindsets – one that recognizes transparency as a step toward stronger businesses rather than a reveal of vulnerabilities.

Long term thinking

Another practice that helps is taking a long-term view. Many of us think in three-month cycles, as that’s when quarterly reports are due to shareholders. If we have a bad quarter, it can be easy to move sustainability down the list of priorities as we extend all efforts to make sure the next quarter is better.

Playing the long game can mean persuading shareholders that changing from quarterly to annual reporting is better as it allows staff to focus on long-term progress in business and sustainability, and not get distracted by one underperforming period.

This long-term view is one way that I’ve seen the benefits of from a business perspective. It’s the same principle I learned from the Dirty Girls on Lesvos, and I try to apply it in all discussions about business practices.

With increased internal transparency and the proactive sharing of what works and what doesn’t, businesses can make better progress on emissions and energy reduction than they can by keeping their ideas siloed. Thinking longer term helps us stay focused on environmental and business goals, rather than periodic reports which can ultimately be a barrier to success rather than a tool.

Ultimately, the way we do business needs to change. The health of the planet is not something that we can take for granted and if we allow ecosystems to be damaged, it won’t be long until it impacts our supply chains and makes it impossible for many companies to stay afloat. Good environmental practice is good business practice, and we must make that part of our common thinking at every level of business.

Source Sustainable Future News

Unilever, Google and Amazon among new Business Alliance to Scale Climate Solutions

Posted on June 7, 2021June 7, 2021 by dishanth

Humanity is falling short of its climate goals. More investment is urgently needed—especially in the next decade—to transition to a low-carbon economy. The IPCC estimates that achieving a low-carbon transition will require US$1.6-$3.8 trillion annually between 2016 and 2050 for the supply-side energy system alone. Alongside ambitious emissions reductions from their own carbon footprints, funding from businesses—including carbon credit purchases, philanthropy, and impact capital—can be catalytic in scaling investment in the climate solutions necessary to achieve a just and sustainable 1.5°C future. The impact in play is enormous. For example, natural climate solutions have the potential for capital flows greater than $100 billion annually, with opportunity across the world and especially in the Global South.

Led by founding businesses Amazon, Disney, Google, Microsoft Corp., Netflix, Salesforce, Unilever, and Workday, and partners Environmental Defense Fund, United Nations Environment Programme, and World Wildlife Fund (WWF-US), with global sustainable business organization BSR serving as Secretariat, BASCS aims to gather and disseminate information and opportunities for and from peers, practitioners, and experts, including sharing best practices, funding opportunities, and research and insights to scale and improve climate solutions.

Significant momentum exists: Many organizations and initiatives are already working with funding from businesses to deploy climate solutions. The BASCS offers an opportunity to help connect and support these initiatives and the surrounding community of practice by providing a central, neutral platform for businesses and experts to meet, learn, discuss, and act together.

The work will be grounded in core principles:

Emissions Reduction: BASCS members prioritize work to reduce their own emissions in line with a science-based target (e.g., through the SBTi) and pursue high impact climate investments that go even further to curb climate change. Members will seek scalable solutions to help make hard-to-achieve reductions feasible in the future. Climate solutions funding is a complement rather than a substitute for science-based emissions reductions.

Ambition to Action: BASCS members work to catalyze and deepen investments in global emissions reductions, avoided emissions and removals across and beyond value chains (e.g., mobilizing others in the corporate sector to invest alongside us).

Measurable Impacts: BASCS members support applying sound and verified methodologies to ensure high social and environmental integrity of investments. Carbon credits claimed by companies must represent additional, real, quantifiable, and verifiable emissions reductions or removals, and must not be double counted.

Co-Benefits: BASCS members support investments that deliver environmental and social integrity and co-benefits and have strong safeguards, in addition to driving real greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Members will seek investments that quantify these co-benefits when possible.

BASCS seeks to serve and engage all organizations working to scale and improve climate solutions opportunities for business investment. To learn more and engage with the Business Alliance to Scale Climate Solutions, please visit scalingclimatesolutions.org

Founder Commentary

Amazon “As part of our commitment to The Climate Pledge, Amazon is on our way to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, which is good for the planet, people and our business. We remain focused on driving decarbonization strategies throughout our business, as well as investing in additional and quantifiable natural climate solutions to remove carbon and tackle climate change. We look forward to continuing to work across sectors with BASCS to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy.” – Kara Hurst, Vice President, Worldwide Sustainability

BSR “In this Decisive Decade, we need urgent climate action to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and achieve an inclusive net zero economy. BSR is proud to serve as the secretariat for the Business Alliance to Scale Climate Solutions, advising the initiative in its effort to unlock finance for much needed climate solutions. We believe collaborations such as BASCS are key to transforming climate ambition into meaningful action and scaling impact.” – Aron Cramer, President and CEO

Disney “The Walt Disney Company is committed to protecting the planet and delivering a positive environmental legacy for future generations as we operate and grow our business. Transitioning to a low carbon economy demands fundamental changes in the way society, including the private sector, operates and innovates. Collaborating with other members of BASCS will create opportunity to scale high quality climate solutions necessary to drive a more sustainable future.” – Vijay Sudan, Executive Director, Enterprise Social Responsibility, The Walt Disney Company

EDF “The time is now for companies to take bold action on climate change. We have 10 years to dramatically reduce emissions and there is no way we can achieve a stable climate without stopping deforestation. The Business Alliance to Scale Climate Solutions can help close the climate funding gap and speed resources to protect what is most valuable. It is the kind of visionary leadership and action we need from the world’s biggest and most influential companies.” – Elizabeth Sturcken, Managing Director, EDF+Business

Google “At Google, we were the first major company to become carbon neutral in 2007 and we’ve met this commitment for over a decade. We look forward to working with the BASCS to share our learnings and accelerate our collective work to decarbonize.” – Kate Brandt, Google Sustainability Officer

Microsoft “The climate crisis is the defining challenge of our lifetimes. If we are to achieve a 1.5-degree Celsius future, we will all need to work together. Today, we are joining the Business Alliance to Scale Climate Solutions, working with other members to accelerate the maturation and scale of a range of climate solutions.” – Elizabeth Willmott, Carbon Program Manager, Microsoft.

Netflix “Netflix has committed to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2022. We will get there by reducing our internal emissions in line with climate science and by investing in the power of nature to retain and reduce emissions from the atmosphere, starting with natural ecosystems like forests above-and-below water. Scaling up the highest quality projects to “retain” and “reduce” emissions is best done collaboratively, which is why we look forward to this timely collective effort taking flight.” – Emma Stewart, Netflix Sustainability Officer

Salesforce “The time for climate action is now. Every business, government and individual must step up to the urgent challenge of climate change and to create an inclusive and sustainable future for all. At Salesforce we believe that business can be one of the greatest platforms for change. That is why we are proud to be a founding member of BASCS, an initiative to rapidly scale and improve climate solutions funding from businesses.” – Patrick Flynn, Head of Sustainability at Salesforce

UNEP “Drastically reducing deforestation and simultaneously restoring forests is the single largest nature-based opportunity for climate mitigation. UNEP is therefore proud to be a co-founder of the Business Alliance to Scale Climate Solutions, supporting the private sector’s climate ambitions for deep cuts in their own emissions – working towards high-integrity outcomes for carbon neutrality by 2050 or sooner.” – Susan Gardner, Director of the Ecosystems Division

Workday “We are committed to a 1.5 degrees Celsius science-based target, but we know there is still much more work to be done, and one of the most powerful ways we can accelerate climate action is by coming together with other organizations. This alliance is an opportunity to collaborate with others who share our vision to increase the scale and impact of climate solutions funding, so we can achieve a zero-carbon future.” – Erik Hansen, Senior Director, Environmental Sustainability, Workday

WWF “To tackle the climate crisis, we need to act immediately to drive climate emissions down. BASCS highlights that business must set science-based targets for their own emissions while bringing the investment in solutions to scale. WWF is excited to help found this clearing house for collaborative learning and support companies to make impactful investments to tackle the climate crisis.” – Marcene Mitchell, Senior Vice President for Climate Change

SOURCE The Business Alliance for Scaling Climate Solutions (BASCS)

Source PR Newswire