Bernalillo County officials are launching a new program to turn discarded cigarette butts into compost and plastic products such as hand tools and picnic benches.
On Tuesday, the Keep BernCo Beautiful Advisory Board, county staff, and Commissioner Steven Michael Quezada unveiled new receptacles — branded with Keep BernCo Beautiful and a play on the “Breaking Bad” title sequence — for people to toss their cigarette butts into. The county’s Public Works Division staff will then collect and send the butts to the company TerraCycle for processing.
According to TerraCycle, paper and tobacco are separated and shredded to use for composting and the plastics in the filters are sanitized and turned into powder to make into plastic.
“This initiative is meant to encourage the recycling of the cigarette butts that are being tossed on the ground and entering our water system,” says Keep BernCo Beautiful Advisory Board Chair Mark Acton. “Just like the name of our board, we want to Keep BernCo Beautiful, but also healthy and safe for everyone.”
The county has installed five receptacles — at the University of New Mexico Hospital, the Tiny Home Village and UNM’s South campus. It expects to install a sixth, with six more on the way, according to a news release.
Anyone who wishes to have a receptacle at their location should send an email to gvillescas@bernco.gov.