Chile: Cigarette Butts Recycled into Clothes
Created: Jan 14 2009
Related articles: World > South America
STORY:
Researchers say that in 2008, some 4.5 trillion cigarettes were stubbed out all over the world. Collectively, that's like a mountain of cigarette butts. Chilean fashion student, Alexandra Guerrero was horrified by the number, so much so that she decided to take a stand.
She created the Mantis project, aimed at ridding her beachside town near Santiago of cigarette butts so that they can be turned into clothing.
The focus of the project is two-fold: to generate awareness about the importance of recycling and related environmental issues, and to make something useful from the discarded cigarettes.
[Ricardo Riquelme, Collaborator]:
"A gesture as basic as not throwing the butts on the ground is a contribution to the planet, and this is the mission of Mantis, to create a consciousness in people to keep the butt, because it is useful. Why contaminate, when it is much better to transform it into something useful?"
After the butts are collected, they are purified in sterilized water and solvent. Then they are dried, separated and turned into fabric.
This removes all of the nicotine and other toxins that would be otherwise seep into drains and waterways.
[Alexandra Guerrero, Project Creator]:
"The entire process has been done under a study of environmental engineering, purifying 95 percent of the butt, so there is no problem with using them in contact with the skin."
The butts-to-clothing project began two years ago as Guerrero's graduate thesis.
She blends the gathered fiber with sheep's wool to produce yarn which is then used for knitting garments.
For Guerrero, it is more about spreading the message about recycling than about fashion.
[Alexandra Guerrero, Project Creator]:
"I believe the project has already contributed, the sole act of arriving thinking that it is possible to recycle something so small is a contribution for people, what I have done has helped the environment by collecting a lot of cigarette butts, but I have done only a small part, if there is a more massive effort, perhaps with more support there can be a more significant change."
So far the Mantis project has managed to make durable hats, gloves, sweaters, and blankets from cigarette filters.
Guerrero has now patented her project and has started a small business selling items via e-mail.
All of the clothes are handmade, so she is not looking to mass produce, but she does hope the Mantis philosophy catches on around the world.
