A few products created by Code Effort using recycled cigarette butts
A few products created by Code Effort using recycled cigarette butts

Can’t help butt recycle, Code Effort deals with toxic cigarette waste

Naman Gupta (27) from Noida, Uttar Pradesh, recalls that, during his childhood and adolescent years, it was common to see people smoking a cigarette

Naman Gupta (27) from Noida, Uttar Pradesh, recalls that, during his childhood and adolescent years, it was common to see people smoking a cigarette. “Be it on the roadside or in lounges, smokers were everywhere,” the 27-year-old comments. In no time, he became aware of the waste produced due to cigarette smoking, and hence, started researching about the impact the act creates on the environment.
Discarded cigarette butts are a form of non-biodegradable, toxic waste that add to the landfills. A massive contributor of pollution, cigarette butts are made of cellulose acetate, a type of plastic that may take anywhere about 10 years to degrade. 

Resolute in his commitment to make a change, the Delhi University graduate decided to launch Code Effort Pvt Ltd, an end-to-end recycling venture that converts cigarette butts into consumer products, in September, 2018. “We call ourselves Code Effort because it is a collective effort to eradicate cigarette butts from our environment. ‘Code’ is an abbreviation that stands for ‘Collective effort to conserve Our Depleting Environment’,” he shares

Devising ‘green’ solutions  
Code Effort follows the 3Ps—Procure, Process, and Produce—that outlines the organisation’s working mechanism. The team collects cigarette butts from a network of ragpickers and volunteers from different parts of the country. They also provide collection services for commercial establishments that permit smoking such as corporates, lounges, and cafes. 

The collected cigarette butts are then processed after it is disassembled into three parts—paper, leftover tobacco, and cellulose acetate (the filter). A network of 70 women from Nangli village, Western UP, tear down these cigarette scraps into bits. This work helps them sustain their livelihoods, claims Gupta. 

Limiting waste generated  
Code Effort ensures that no part of the cigarette butt goes to waste. The leftover tobacco is converted into compost powder—they do so by following aerobic composting so they don’t pollute the soil in the process. While the compost powder is sold to nurseries, the cigarette paper is used to make mosquito repellent as well as recycled plantable paper for notebooks, calendars, etc. The filter is shredded, treated chemically, and lab tested, and after safety approvals, it is used to stuff soft toys, key chains, cushions, mattresses, and more.  

For Gupta, an entrepreneur with a larger vision, this is just the beginning of a bigger step towards sustainability. “Change has to come from us,” he concludes.

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