Cigarette butts: the small waste that suffocates the Mediterranean

They measure barely three centimeters but can contaminate 500 liters of water each. Cigarette butts, often thrown on the ground, are one of the most prevalent plastic wastes on sidewalks as well as on beaches. In Marseille, the association Recyclop has been raising awareness among smokers for ten years, without stigmatizing them. It offers concrete alternatives to prevent these filters loaded with toxic substances from ending up on the street and then in the sea. And for that, it recycles several tons of butts each year. Some even serve… to produce electricity.

IA Index: Library of Mediterranean Knowledge
Cigarette Butts: the small waste that suffocates the Mediterranean
22-med – December 2025
• In Marseille, Recyclop transforms cigarette butts into resources, from awareness-raising to electricity production.
• A tiny waste, among the most present on beaches, at the heart of an emerging recycling sector.
#mediterranean #pollution #waste #tobacco #recycling #marseille #commitment #ecocitizenship

This supporter of Olympique de Marseille, who came to cheer for his football club at the Vélodrome stadium, was unaware just a few minutes earlier. At the moment of crushing his cigarette, a volunteer from Recyclop approached him: a simple exchange, quick information… and a moment of awareness.

For ten years, this association has been conducting awareness operations of this type among smokers throughout the city. On the ground, to curb automatic gestures. With the credo of not stigmatizing anyone. “We want to open a discussion with them, to show them that they are not the problem but rather a solution. Because the goal is for their butt not to end up on the ground,” emphasizes Alexandre Benhamou, its general director.

Dialoguing to Change a Too Common Gesture

The volunteers have free rein to approach smokers. Reda, among the active members for a few weeks, generally opts for a “gentle approach.” “You have to talk to them in a cool way,” the student believes. “I suggest we smoke together to start the conversation.” In contrast, Léo prefers the “more direct” technique. “I ask them if they are interested in the pocket ashtray we distribute.” This is the second lever of action for Recyclop: offering an alternative to smokers to dispose of their butts when no trash can is nearby.

However, after three years in contact with the crowd and smokers, Léo admits he has seen his proposal declined more often than accepted. Especially during operations like this one, in front of the Marseille stadium, where small ashtrays are not allowed – as they are deemed likely to be used as projectiles. No other choice for Jean-Yves: “I throw my butts on the ground, even though I know it pollutes,” he admits.

In passing, Recyclop reminds that cigarette butts are responsible for significant pollution. Data sometimes circulates with strong variations, but it gives an idea of the phenomenon: between 20 and 25 billion butts are thrown on the ground each year in France, including 2 billion in Paris and 500 million in Marseille, according to the Ministry of Ecological Transition. Globally, more than 4000 billion end up in the environment, according to Surfrider Foundation Europe. They also represent 40% of the waste in the Mediterranean Sea.

Fun Solutions

Since the pocket ashtray is not the solution, the association seeks to install fixed ashtrays in public places. Shaped like a column, resembling a mailbox, they feature two different reservoirs to collect butts. A playful question – “Tea or coffee,” “Tinder or Meetic,” etc. – invites smokers to take a stance. And to adopt, without realizing it, the habit of disposing of their butts in a dedicated container rather than on the ground.

Local authorities, businesses, and about thirty bars and restaurants in downtown Marseille have already equipped their terraces with this type of playful device. Or, if not, with a more classic collection bin. Thus, Recyclop now counts around 120 partners. These are spread across the Phocaean City and more broadly throughout the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, notably thanks to the opening of a branch in the neighboring Var department in 2021. This expansion is something the general director wishes to continue to grow the association's network.

At the same time, Recyclop is constantly looking for volunteers to carry out these awareness actions. The association invites those who wish to participate to contact them by email or through their social media, to strengthen their presence in public spaces and increase encounters with smokers.

From the Street… to Electricity Production

Recyclop's mission does not stop at awareness and support. The association completes the loop by also handling the valorization of cigarette butts. It collects those that accumulate at its partners, via cargo bike tours. It visits bars and restaurants once a week, and once or twice a year in companies. Additionally, there are butts brought back by waste collection associations, such as Clean my calanques. “We collect between three and four tons of butts per year, a third of which comes from Marseille's bars and restaurants,” specifies Alexandre Benhamou.

All of them head to Rognac, about thirty kilometers north of Marseille, to join the facilities of Spur Environnement, a company of the Sarpi Veolia group specializing in the sorting and valorization of hazardous waste. The butts are first incinerated there, and then, during the cooling of the ashes (with water), the smoke formed is captured and transformed into steam. After passing through turbines, this produces electricity that the plant consumes for its own operation.

Thanks to Recyclop's butts, 5000 kWh have been generated, equivalent to one million smartphone charges, the association notes. This virtuous way of using this waste is not the only one, as evidenced by the devices offered by other organizations that are also tackling cigarette butts elsewhere in France. With TchaoMegot, in Hauts-de-France, they become insulation for buildings or textile stuffing. When MéGO!, based in Brittany, turns them into a rigid material used, among other things, to make urban furniture. Once again, it is proven that nothing is lost and everything transforms!