Cigarette ends can insulate homes

A north London council is to use new technology which allows cigarette butts to be recycled into loft insulation.

Currently the cigarette ends cannot be recycled and end up being sent to landfill sites.

Harrow Council is to use a process in which steamed destroys the toxins and the cleaned material is then used to make insulation rolls.

The council said that in Harrow town centre alone, around 4,000 discarded cigarettes are dropped every 24 hours.

Landfill costs

The process works by placing cigarette ends in a large steel container, which is then filled with steam at 150C (302F) and cleaned.

Councillor Susan Hall said: "Cigarette butts are unsightly and at present add to our landfill costs.

"We are evaluating whether they can be put to better use.

"Harrow is the second best recycler in London with a rate of 44%, but any cost-efficient new technology that drives that rate up is clearly worth considering - this could be the filter tip of the iceberg!"