Cigarette butt recycling program expanded to ILM airport

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Keep New Hanover Beautiful (KNHB) announced they have expanded their cigarette butt recycling program, piloted earlier this year in downtown Wilmington, to Wilmington International Airport.

KNHB helped the airport procure ten cigarette butt recycling canisters, serving customers and staff at various locations throughout the facility. The new canisters replace sand ashtrays that airport maintenance staff had to sift through 2-3 times daily. The new canisters are emptied every week by KNHB volunteers. Once collected, the butts are packed and shipped to TerraCycle, a company that recycles the waste into compost and hard, plastic shipping materials.

“On behalf of the Wilmington International Airport we are proud to partner with Keep New Hanover Beautiful on this environmental sustainability program; the cigarette butt recycling program aligns with ILM airport’s sustainable and green initiatives, reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills,” said Whitney Prease, Facilities Director at the Wilmington International Airport.