Oklahoma City to Upcycle Cigarette Trash

Oklahoma City has an idea for dealing with the inexorable tide of cigarette butts dirtying its sidewalks and washing into its storm drains — turn them into plastic.

It’s a little more roundabout than that, but a group of organizations have collaborated to install 23 cigarette recycling stations on light poles in downtown Oklahoma City. The aluminum boxes will serve as collection points for filters and other tobacco products, and the nonprofit group Downtown OKC will send it all to “a private company” for recycling.

Though a city press release didn’t specify which company, one company has been basking in attention for its program recycling used cigarettes into plastic and composting material. That company, TerraCycle, has made headlines for turning cigarette filters into feedstock for products ranging from benches to backpacks.