Bend the Butt

Cigarette butt debris forms an environmental problem. When the cellulose acetate cigarette butts find their way to the ocean, they fall apart into microplastics. Moreover, the toxic components in cigarette butts as a result of the combustion of tobacco leak into the environment when the butts are not disposed properly. This integration project analyzes and compares directions to solve this problem in order to propose a solution. The solution directions are identified by applying the waste hierarchy. These solution directions are analyzed and compared by constructing a design matrix. Within this design matrix all identified directions are evaluated with the use of multiple criteria. The five directions with the highest score serve as an input to create designs which are assessed in a newly constructed design matrix. Eventually, the results showed a preference for creating a permanent cigarette filter which is a filter that can be reused for multiple times. This filter has a high potential for decreasing the amount of plastic littered through cigarette butt debris without changing the smoking experience significantly. Furthermore, this design is effective in the long-term. However, the development and implementation of this design requires a significant investment and effort, since a the permanent filter does not exist yet and a new logistic system is needed to prevent harmful residues from being exposed to the environment.