Is there anything positive to say about cigarettes? People still smoke them knowing the serious health risks of lung cancer and emphysema, and there are numerous chemicals in them. How could anyone successfully improve the image of cigarettes?
Cigarettes are damaging in so many ways to the environment too. According to Reuters Health, 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are thrown away every year, which is a significant amount of littering. In addition, the product is not very biodegradable, and it comes with excess packaging. Californians Against Waste say that cigarettes contain up to 60 known human carcinogens such as arsenic, formaldehyde, chromium and lead. When a cigarette butt is tossed out the window, it has the potential to leach into surrounding water. These poisons can affect wildlife and aquatic life.
Even though littered cigarette butts can start forest fires, kill animals and poison our water supply, Alexander Guerrero has created a brighter opportunity for these cancer sticks. Guerrero is a Chilean designer who has figured out how to recycle cigarette butts into clothes. However, in order to use the butts, they must be thoroughly washed first before they can be transformed into a wool-like fabric. Not only are his designs stylish, they are also durable and sustainable for the environment.
To date, Guerrero has used approximately 5,000 cigarette butts to create his innovative clothing line. While this isn’t a large dent in the 4.3 trillion cigarettes disposed of per year, it’s still making a difference.
So how safe are these recycled cigarette butts? Guerrero went an extra step to ensure the public’s safety. He consulted environmental engineer Carolina Leiva who conducted a study to assess the safety of these cleaned cigarette butts. The study found that the cigarette butts were 95 percent pure and safe for use in clothing.
Even when you think something so terrible cannot possibly have a positive aspect people like Guerrero surprise you. It will be interesting to see if other designers use this material in their lines. The more it’s used for a positive purpose, the less chance it has of negatively affecting the environment.
