Scientists recycle cigarette butts into stronger asphalt for roads

Cigarette butts are the most littered item on the planet. People toss out an estimated 4.5 trillion cigarette butts each year, and that number may double by the end of 2025 as e-cigarette use grows. These small, toxic waste items pollute city streets, beaches and waterways. They also take years to break down.

But that may be starting to change. Scientists have developed a way to recycle cigarette butts into asphalt, creating roads that are both stronger and more sustainable. Research teams from the University of Granada in Spain and the University of Bologna in Italy have studied the process closely, highlighting its potential to improve road performance while cutting down on waste.

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Why cigarette butts make a good asphalt additive

Modern road construction often relies on additives to improve the strength and flexibility of asphalt. Some road-building materials already use cellulose fibers like those found in cigarette filters. That sparked the idea to take used butts, clean them up and put them to work.

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E-cigarette filters are especially promising. They are longer and packed with fibers like cellulose and polylactic acid (PLA) fibers, making them ideal for reinforcing asphalt. 

Person holding cigarette butt in hand    (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

How cigarette butts are recycled into road material

The recycling process involves several steps:

1. Collecting and sorting: Filters from traditional and e-cigarettes go through a collection and cleaning process. Ash and residue are removed, leaving behind usable fiber material.

2. Shredding and mixing: Machines shred the cleaned fibers and combine them with synthetic hydrocarbon wax, which serves as a binder.

3. Pellet formation: The blended material is pressed, heated and cut into small pellets that can be easily stored and transported.

4. Asphalt integration: These pellets are added to reclaimed asphalt and bitumen. During heating, the pellets melt and release reinforcing fibers that strengthen the final asphalt mix.

Up to 40% of the final road…