AG Real Estate is committed to sustainable management of cigarette butts. By partnering with the company WeCircular, it ensures that cigarette butts are recycled, thereby limiting their harmful impact on the environment and preserving natural resources. The idea is to raise awareness among rental customers in our portfolio.
AG Real Estate is committed to sustainable management of cigarette butts. By partnering with the company WeCircular, it ensures that cigarette butts are recycled, thereby limiting their harmful impact on the environment and preserving natural resources. The idea is to raise awareness among rental customers in our portfolio.
This recycling system will be installed first in the Parc de l'Alliance buildings in Braine l'Alleud, the Stéphanie buildings, the IT Tower, Central Plaza, the City Center building and the Arts&Lux building on Avenue des Arts, the headquarters of AG Real Estate.
The goal of this project is to achieve coverage of all the office and retail properties owned by AG Real Estate.
Why cigarette butts?
Cigarette butts are now one of the most common types of waste in our cities and also in the environment. They are not only visually polluting, but also a real disaster for the environment. Cigarette butts are composed of cellulose acetate (a plastic component) and contain more than 2,500 chemical substances. A single cigarette butt can pollute more than 500 litres of water and takes between 12 and 15 years to degrade. According to a study by the University of San Diego, cigarette butts are responsible for 50% of deaths among sea fish in some places. In Belgium alone, nearly 30 million cigarette butts are thrown away every day.
Recycling cigarette butts
The initiative is organised jointly with the start-up WeCircular, whose aim is to create recycling solutions and promote the circular economy in Belgium. WeCircular has developed the first cigarette butt recycling system. The company turns the harvested cigarette butts into containers that are then used to collect butts. This is a short-term solution that allows it to develop collection logistics and raise awareness about this toxic waste. This all-Belgian research is continuing to develop a more effective and efficient recycling technique.
Working together on public hygiene
The aim of the installation is therefore to inform customers of the issue and also to create a positive incentive through this recycling system so that people dispose of their cigarette butts in an ashtray rather than in the environment.
For more info: http://www.wecircular.be
