Treasure, Brazil recycled cigarette paper

In the streets of many cities in Brazil, there are many hanging on the roadside, with round holes in the green iron cigarette holder recycling box. Smokers can put the cigarette butts into it and the recovered cigarette butts are sent to the factory for paper processing. This is the University of Brasilia proposed waste into the embellishment of new ideas, is gradually expanding the country.

 

"Toba Paper" project leader, Brasilia University professor Terez Hoffman introduced the idea of the earliest in 2002 by the Art Institute of a student, then Hoffman and the student survey learned that, There are not many precedents for cigarette butt recycling. After several tests, they found that the organic ingredients and cigarette pulp is very similar.

 

After a year of effort, Hoffman registered a patent for cigarette paper recycling from the Brazilian National Industrial Property Association in 2003 and signed a patent licensing agreement with a company based in Sao Paulo in 2014, where the company specifically responsible for the recovery and handling of cigarette butts The At present, many cities in Brazil have been installed cigarette butts, such as Brasilia, Sao Paulo, Campinas and so on.

 

In the lab, Hoffman showed journalists the treatment of cigarette butts. "In the process, the most important thing is how to cigarette butts harmless and remove the smoke."

 

According to Hoffman introduced, smoking process, a large part of the harmful substances have entered the air, but still remain part of the cigarette butts. In order to remove the remaining harmful substances, need to wash the cigarette butts into a container, add water and sodium hydroxide and other alkaline substances, and then heated. The heating time depends on the number of cigarettes, usually for several hours.

 

She said: "The most important part of the cigarette butt is made of cellulose acetate, and after heating, the slag is discharged and the rest is fiber. It is an important raw material for paper." After heating, drainage, stirring, Dry and other processes, the original cigarette butts have been basically removed the harmful substances, cigarette butts into papermaking raw materials.

 

Although the use of cigarette butts "made" paper in the color, feel and other aspects of industrial production of paper has a certain gap, but Hoffman's team has made use of these cards greeting cards, invitations, cartons, notebook covers and other items, But also the use of technical means to make the paper showing a different color. She said: "At present, many social groups and government departments in the activities, has been used from the cigarette butts, welcomed by everyone.

 

In addition to the use of cigarette butts, the Brazilian central bank out of the market of paper money has become a raw material for the recovery of paper. Hoffman said that because of defacement or damage, banknotes are usually a few years of life, and now have recycling channels, these out of the circulation of banknotes can also use the waste.

 

"Our technology is not complicated, but it makes it possible to make it come into use," says Hoffman. "We want to build a recycling industry chain that makes waste use," says Hoffman. The concept of environmental protection for everyone to know.

 

Hoffman hopes to exchange cooperation with other countries in the future, the common use of cigarette butts, she particularly hope that with the originator of paper - China to do this.