BALTIMORE — The Maryland Stadium Authority is teaming up with a program provided by TerraCycle to recycle cigarette butts found in Oriole Park at Camden Yards, M&T Bank Stadium, Camden Station, and the B&O Warehouse.
The collaboration was in an effort to remove the litter caused by cigarette waste and to re-purpose it into something useful for the environment. Through the process, the collected cigarette butts are shipped to TerraCycle, where they are transformed into items such as park benches, bike racks, shipping pallets and recycling bins.
“As the recycling and sustainability coordinator for the Complex responsible for compiling our annual recycling report for the State of Maryland, I was delighted to learn about TerraCycle’s Cigarette Recycling Program,” said Jana Brooks. “Not only did this allow us to recycle a waste stream we weren’t already addressing, but it also keeps our grounds and storm drains clear in a sustainable way. Since cigarettes are a highly-visible yet still manageable form of litter, I reached out to TerraCycle for support, ordered the receptacles, and it's been a tremendous success and a huge win for our working environment!”
MSA has since installed nine cigarette receptacles around well-trafficked areas near the stadiums. There hope is that the recycling will prevent cigarette toxic waste from reaching shorelines and park grounds.
TerraCycle has collected hundreds of millions of cigarette butts globally. Additionally, through its various recycling programs, it has engaged more than 200 million people across 21 countries to collect and recycle nearly eight billion pieces of waste that were otherwise non-recyclable.
