Cigarette Litter Recycling

Keep New Hanover Beautiful’s largest initiative is to work with businesses, property owners and municipalities across New Hanover County to recycle their cigarette litter.

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Since KNHB began this project in 2017, we have been awarded the Keep America Beautiful Cigarette Litter Prevention Program Grant three times. Thanks to to this funding, to date we have recycled over 1 million cigarette filters!​

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Our dedicated team of volunteers are responsible for installing and maintaining over ___ collection canisters in New Hanover County.

UNCW intern, Katlyn installing canisters in Carolina Beach Beach. As of 2019 there is a collection canister at every access on Carolina and Wrightsville Beaches!

Our Executive Director Dick installing a special Ballot Collection Bin with our Partners at Jimmy's Wrightsville Beach

What happens next?

After collections, waste is packaged and shipped to our corporate partners at TerraCycle.

"Once collected, the cigarettes and packaging are separated by composition and melted into hard plastic that can be remolded to make new recycled industrial products, such as plastic pallets. The ash and tobacco are separated out and composted in a specialized process."

- TerraCycle

If you are interested in this program as a volunteer or business owner please reach out to us on our Contact Us page! 

A full list of all businesses participating in this program can be found here.