The roads of the future could be made of millions of cigarette butts

If we strive to count the cigarette butts we can see in one day, we would surely lose the account shortly after we started. This waste not only ends up being thrown out by the environment, but is technically the worst toxic waste. Now a new way to get rid of cigarette butts in a safe way has been found: turn them into asphalt.

Cigarette butts are one of the most common waste of current life, with an estimate of 1.3 million tons generated each year. Like a normal cigar, cigarette butts have many toxic chemicals that seep into the water, threatening all aquatic organisms. Leaving them in one of the ashtrays that can be found in the street does not solve the problem, since the filters of the cigars are not biodegradable.

Luckily, researchers at the RMIT University of Australia have found a way to take advantage of the butt chemicals; a recipe based on cigarette butts and asphalt to seal roads. The main author, Abbas Mohajerani, knows that it is impossible to eradicate tobacco consumption, but he can incorporate cigarette butts in different construction materials to demonstrate that waste can be reused.

Stub. Image: Pixabay

The mixture was able to resist as traditional asphalt does

In the study they mixed the butts with paraffin wax, oil-based bitumen and finally added asphalt blends. Then they simulated the same paving processes of a road to check the strength of the mixture. Depending on the density of cigarette ends in each sample and the quality of the asphalt used; The new recipe was able to withstand all expected expectations. Starting by supporting light and heavy traffic, and continuing to have a lower thermal conductivity than traditional asphalt.

It is very important to emphasize that the asphalt mixture they achieved was able to withstand great efforts and flow under permanent loads, presenting ideal and ecological properties for construction.

This research can demonstrate that a new building material can be created while the environment is rid of a huge waste problem. It is difficult to estimate when cigarette butts will be a common ingredient in asphalt mixtures, but what is certain is that it is estimated that in the coming years tobacco consumption will be reduced.