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By Cynthia Wan  While there is consensus that discarded cigarette butts are a serious cause of litter and a nuisance to pick up, we seem to remain distant from the substantial pollution and damage they cause. Littered cigarette butts, which are one of the top single-use plastics, unleash toxic chemicals that severely impact our land and water as well as the health of living organisms. While Environment and Climate Change Canada and Health Canada recognize butts as the most frequently found microplastics in aquatic environments, cigarette filters are not included as part of the government’s commendable goal to reach zero plastic waste in Canada by 2030. In an effort to address the issues of pollution, chemical leaching, and microplastics, the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association Waste Reduction Group (SLNA-WRG) has partnered with the waste management company TerraCycle and members of the St. Lawrence Market Business Improvement Area to pilot a cigarette butt–recycling project. This initiative involves the installation and servicing of 24 free butt receptacles outside of interested local food-based businesses. Due to the prominent locations of the receptacles, community members are able to easily access these collection points and deposit their cigarette butts in real time. Rather than simply being sent to a landfill, the collected butts are then recycled by TerraCycle to lessen the negative environmental and health issues they create.
Cigarette butts are actually the most abundant form of plastic waste in the world, with about 4.5 trillion individual butts polluting our global environment. As the most littered item on earth, they produce an estimated 1.69 billion pounds of toxic garbage each year. In a recent issue of Environment International, Lucia et al. (2023) call these discarded butts “an environmental hazard for aquatic organisms” because “they contain more than 5,000 chemicals such as nicotine, metals, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.” Among these, “at least 150 compounds are considered highly toxic, mainly because of their carcinogenic and mutagenic potential,” the authors warn. The problem is not limited to the ingredients in cigarette tobacco. Almost all of the 6 trillion cigarettes sold globally have plastic filters made with cellulose acetate, which degrades poorly, as the Bulletin of the World Health Organization pointed out in its October 2022 issue. According to the city’s latest Litter Audit of Toronto, cigarette butts are the second most identifiable littered item after chewing gum, which account for 18.1% and 22.5% of all small litter, respectively. This is despite the fact that there are 10,300 litter bins throughout Toronto’s streets with receptacles for garbage, recycling, and cigarette butts. However, the butts collected in this manner go to landfill and are not recycled. This is not ideal, as the landfill itself then becomes a source of chemical leaching and spreads plastic waste. The St. Lawrence Neighbourhood, as a community, is well positioned to tackle this global issue by changing people’s attitudes and behaviours regarding cigarette butt–littering. By installing recycling receptacles outside their establishments, the participating food and beverage operators are helping to reduce the cigarette waste on our main streets and raising awareness about this important issue. The response from the community’s food-based businesses has been very positive, as can be seen by the growing number of receptacles throughout the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood. The SLNA-WRG encourages all residents and visitors to the St. Lawrence area to keep an eye out for these new receptacles and, whenever possible, make use of them. Placing your cigarette butts in these new receptacles is a small step you can take to reduce your environmental footprint while keeping your environment and fellow community members healthy and safe! A full list of the participating businesses and receptacle locations can be found here. Founded in 2019, the SLNA-WRG’s objective is to help residents in the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood change their consumption patterns to reduce waste and positively impact climate change. If you are interested in participating or hearing about our current initiatives, you can contact us at [email protected]. This post was edited by Lumida Editing & Proofreading
By Jess Blackwell and Julia Hernández Malagón 1. What the WRG is and what we do The WRG is a highly active non-profit group operating in downtown Toronto, and our events and other initiatives focus on raising environmental awareness and reducing waste in our local communities. To this end, we host a triennial event called REmarket, which encourages community members to rethink their consumption and disposal habits while promoting a circular, equitable, accessible economy in which all individuals are empowered. At this event, we collect post-consumer items for donation, run a totally free market (called FreeMarket), repair common household items and bikes (with the help of organizations such as Repair Cafe Toronto and CultureLink Bike Hub), raise awareness about waste reduction and other environmental concerns, and collect difficult-to-recycle items. We also run initiatives such as St. Lawrence Reduces, which encourages local businesses to join the bring-your-own (BYO) container movement, and our cigarette-waste-recycling program in partnership with Terracycle.
2. Our team We currently have around 30 volunteer team members, each with different roles and interests. Because we do not receive any formal funding to support our operations, we rely entirely on the skills and generosity of our ever-growing team of volunteers. We are proud of the diversity, passion, and unique skills our team offers, and we are always looking for new recruits to join our team and help us make Toronto a better, more sustainable place to live. 3. The benefits of volunteering with us Lead a more sustainable lifestyle and help others do the same Whether you are already leading a sustainable lifestyle and want to get more involved, or are just getting started and want to learn more about sustainable practices, the WRG is a great place for you. The group is made up of a friendly, fun, diverse group of people united by a common mission: reducing waste in our local communities. Widen your social network Volunteering with the WRG is a great opportunity to make meaningful connections, share ideas, and exchange information about events and interesting activities. The diversity of the group helps generate different perspectives and points of view. For those who are new to Canada, it can be a great way to get more involved in the community. Upskill and try new things For example, are you interested in practicing your writing skills? Your graphic design skills? Volunteering is a great opportunity to upskill or develop new skills, as well as try new things that might help you in your professional or personal journey. The WRG offers a wide variety of positions depending on your interests and skills, and many of our members have been able to widen their professional networks as a result of working with us. 4. The volunteer positions and opportunities we offer So what does it mean to be a volunteer with the WRG, and how can I get involved? Positions We offer a variety of volunteer opportunities, including the following positions: General volunteer: Contribute to as many of our initiatives as you would like to by actively participating in our Zoom meetings, voting process, and individual initiatives. In-person REmarket volunteer: Contribute to the success of our REmarket event by helping us greet guests, accept and sort donations, run the FreeMarket, manage the recycling table, and take photos and videos of the event. Marketing team volunteer: Contribute to our marketing efforts by helping us create Instagram content, design online posts, design print posters and others ads, write blog articles, or manage our social media channels. St. Lawrence Reduces volunteer: Canvas local businesses to encourage them to join the BYO movement and make their operations more sustainable. Time Commitment On average, our volunteers spend no more than 1–2 hours per week on their volunteer activities, although some of our team members generously donate more of their time as they are able to. Members vs. Contributors To maximize the flexibility we offer our volunteers, the WRG distinguishes between volunteer members and volunteer contributors. Members are required to join the group’s electronic mailing list, consistently and actively participate in the group’s Zoom meetings, and contribute to initiatives in whatever way(s) they can. In exchange, members have the right to vote on important group issues. Contributors do not have the same general responsibilities as members and usually contribute to initiatives in very specific ways, such as by designing Instagram posts or writing blog articles. However, contributors do not have the right to vote on important group issues. New team members are able to get involved with us in whichever capacity they prefer, and we strive to be as flexible as possible! 5. What it's like volunteering with us Volunteering with the WRG is a flexible commitment in terms of time and tasks. Most tasks can be done online, and the group only arranges meetings approximately once a month. In the group meetings, the group discusses its different initiatives, community feedback, potential opportunities for improvement, and future activities. On occasion, the group invites other organizations that might want to partner with the WRG or that share mutual goals or interests. These meetings are especially interesting, because you can learn a lot from the practices and initiatives of other organizations while sharing ideas with other people on the team. The best parts of volunteering can be different for everyone, but we find that seeing the impact of our actions is incredibly motivating. For example, it is inspiring to see the acceptance and usefulness of the work being done at REmarket and to experience how your skills can be put to good use and improved. 6. Ready to get involved? Volunteering with the WRG is a great opportunity to serve your community and help reduce waste. Contributing feels good, and it can also be beneficial for your personal and professional development, such as by helping you widen your social network, hone your skills, or gain new skills. Think this is the right volunteer opportunity for you? Email [email protected] for more information.  This article was edited by Lumida Editing & Proofreading. By Beatrix Maddocks  Hello! My name is Beatrix Maddocks, and I have spent the summer working as an intern with the Green Neighbours Network of Toronto (GNN) and Canada Summer Jobs in collaboration with the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association Waste Reduction Group (SLNA-WRG). During this internship, I have conducted surveys on single-use plastic items with restaurants and cafes in the St. Lawrence neighbourhood. I am very pleased to say that I have had a wonderful experience interacting with numerous owners and managers in the area. It has been amazing to see the number of businesses taking action on the important issue of reducing waste. The surveys I’ve been conducting involve discussing the use of reusable takeout services as an alternative to single-use takeaway items. While these services are just beginning to expand within restaurants and cafes, I am confident that their popularity will grow in the near future, as many businesses are interested in the potential of introducing them to their customers. Another aspect of the survey that connects to the SLNA-WRG is asking whether businesses allow their customers to bring their own container. One amazing way that the SLNA-WRG has reduced waste in its community has been through the creation of "bring your own" (BYO) stickers that it offers to restaurants, cafes, and vendors within the St. Lawrence Market and surrounding area. This initiative, called St. Lawrence Reduces, shows how customers can contribute to reducing waste in their community and how businesses can support this initiative and show concern for the environment. In addition to conducting surveys, I have also been promoting a website called WalkRollMap.org within the St. Lawrence neighbourhood. Through this website, accessibility issues, hazards, missing amenities, and incidents can be reported. Some examples of items that might be reported include large sidewalk cracks, which could disrupt travel for people using wheelchairs, unsafe intersections, and areas that could benefit from the addition of benches. I can only say positive things about my experience working within the St. Lawrence neighbourhood for my summer internship. The willingness of most managers and owners to complete our short survey and discuss this important environmental issue has been incredible. It is clear that a majority of the restaurants and cafes in the St. Lawrence neighbourhood have a strong desire to make change within their industry. This experience and internship have given me hope that change is upon us, especially in regards to the environment. This article was edited by Lumida Editing & Proofreading
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