A community collection program for cigarette butts, run by No More Butts

We are on the hunt for businesses to participate in our program ... for free!

The Issue

Over 450 tonnes of cigarette butt waste ends up in Victorian landfill each year

Recent estimates suggest that between 30% and 50% of cigarette butts are littered by smokers. Whilst this is a big issue for the environment already, the remaining butts end up in landfill, because there are no other options.

Using population data, No More Butts has estimated that 4.5 billion cigarettes are consumed in Australia each year. Assuming that up to half of this is littered, there are over 2.25 billion cigarette butts that make their way into landfill each year in Victoria.

A cigarette butt (tobacco filter) is made from cellulose acetate, a synthetic compound made by the acetylation of the plant substance cellulose. Unfortunately it is not biodegradable and can take up to 15 years to photodegrade.

After collaborating with research partner and mycologist, Fungi Solutions, No More Butts is on a mission to see if cigarette butt waste has a value. By designing a supply chain and engaging with interested businesses, we can identify if people are wiling to help recover this resource as we research potential uses after the normal life.

Diverting plastic from landfill is part of Victoria's and Australia's goals. In addition, a focus on this waste stream helps towards the Melbourne Metropolitan Litter plan (2.6.1 - Problem Litter Types).

The Solution

CigCycle History

In late 2020, as part of their Research pillar, Australian Charity, No More Butts started investigating possible uses for all of the cigarette butt litter that they were collecting across Australia.

After some research into global projects, they set about finding an Australian company or research institute who could help remediate cigarette butts in Australia. As part of this hunt, they were introduced to someone in Victoria who had previously trialled cigarette butts as a source for a species of mushroom.

After proposing some ideas for collaboration, Fungi Solutions entered into a Services Agreement with No More Butts to provide myco-remediation services.

As an extension of this agreement, No More Butts identified several opportunities for small trial programs and deployed some across Wollongong, Cairns and in Western Australia. In 2022, No More Butts applied for a grant from Sustainability Victoria to scale their idea of collecting cigarette butt waste from businesses in Melbourne for remediation by their supplier. After a brainstorming session, the name CigCycle was identified and subsequently registered by No More Butts.

No More Butts

No More Butts is run by volunteers. Our mission is for a "butt free environment".

Learn More

Program Funding

MycoCycling Community Cigarette Butt Waste to Re-direct from Landfill is supported by the Circular Economy Communities Fund delivered by Sustainability Victoria under the Victorian Government’s circular economy plan, Recycling Victoria: a new economy.

No More Butts has been awarded $57,835 through the Victorian Government’s Circular Economy Communities Fund. We were one of 39 successful projects in the second round of the Circular Economy Communities Fund.

The Circular Economy Communities Fund:

· The Circular Economy Communities Fund provides $5.4M in grants to support local community groups, social enterprises and other not-for-profit businesses working to reduce waste and improve recycling.

· Funded projects include repair cafés, community gardens, food rescue operations, recycling or repurposing hubs, and circular economy education initiatives.

· Funded projects focus on waste reduction through sharing, repairing and re-purposing through community initiatives, which will help boost Victoria’s economy through local circular economy projects and the creation of new jobs.

Sustainability Victoria and Victoria State Government support CigCycle.