Save the Butts

‘Save the Butts – Waste to Value’ is the first sustainability initiative run in the UAE that adopts a Circular Economy approach to environmental pollution, by converting cigarette butts into a value-added material.

We engage with community members to clean the environment by collecting cigarette butts which are then recycled into valuable manufacturing material.

In an authentic, hands-on, and interactive way ‘Save the Butts‘ shows people the value of their impact, connects them to the natural world, and helps develop a sense of belonging to their local community by equipping them with the mindset and tools to tackle a real-world problem in a sustainable way.

Supporting sustainable local startups.

According to The World Health Organization (WHO) and its published report – Tobacco and its environmental impact-  “Since the 1980s cigarette butts have consistently comprised 30–40% of all items picked up in annual international coastal and urban clean-ups”

Some facts about cigarette butts:

• Worldwide, around 4.5 trillions of cigarette butts are littered in the environment every year.
• They will take around 10-15 years to decompose as most cigarette filters are made of plastic fibers (cellulose acetate)
• There are more than 7,000 chemicals in a cigarette and many of these chemicals are themselves environmentally toxic, making the cigarette butts a hazardous waste.
• Cigarette butts are 95% plastic, making them big plastic polluters.
• The Dubai Municipality collected 400,000 cigarette butts from the beaches in 2017

You can join Save the Butts whether you are an individual, school, work in a company or want to sponsor the campaign.

• Youth & Schools participation: this is a great opportunity for the youth and school students to get involved to clean up the environment, and put the hours in to count towards their community service.
• Corporate partners participation: the perfect way to involve your team in your sustainability agenda, whether you do a clean up or join the annual membership program.