Glasses frames from cigarette butts


How did we come up with this ideia?

Pollution is a very important theme nowadays. When you think about ocean pollution I bet plastic bags are the first thing that cames up to your mind. However, did you know that cigarette butts are the main litter found in the ocean? This problem has appeared a long time ago but it seems that it is not a major concern in the world as it should be. Cigarette butts are continued to be found in every street, beaches and, of course, oceans. This litter contains plastic and other substances that affect not only the animals that directly feed on them, but also the whole food chain. Yes, we are affected by what we have created ourselves. If this problem is not solved, it will have an huge impact in human's health. Therefore, stopping cigarette butts from entering our environment is a must if we want to save the planet. 

After acknowledging this problem, the team realized it could not continue.

Problem: How to help reduce the waste caused by cigarette butts?

How to contribute to solve this problem?

Our research let us know cigarette butts are generally made of a specific type of plastic, celullose acetate. We thought that after being extracted and decontaminated, the plastic could be used to produce plastic objects. We realized that paper, bricks or even surf boards had already been made. After our brainstorm, making hair combs, plastic bags, plastic wrap or revestiment for recycled ashtrays came to our mind. However, glasses frames were what catched our eye the most since it has never been done with recycled cigarette before. It is also very useful what makes it the perfect product.

After defining glasses frames as our final product, the team realized there were some partial problems to solve: 

Sustainable development goals the team will be contributing to with this project : 

12- Responsible consumption and production; 

14- Life below water;

15- Life on land.

With this project, we will try to reduce the huge impact cigarette butts have in our environment and contribute to a cleaner world!