Former IT Professional Took Initiative To Collect Cigarettes Filters For Recycling

Nirit Datta, a former IT professional, has started an initiative and is willing to create a difference, no matter how tiny. Nirit, the founder of ButtRush, has started a unique programme in which he gathers thousands of cigarette filters in order to recycle them. As cigarette butt seems to be composed of cotton, it includes cellulose acetate, a toxic material that is finally thrown in the soil.

Heavy metal contamination in water contributes greatly to the planet's degeneration, and cigarette butts are a serious and generally unknown source of microplastics in the oceans.

Project Buttrush was established in April 2021 by Nirit Datta, India's first Conservation Tech Evangelist, with a trial session on April 24 in Kolkata to establish a world record for the most cigarette butts gathered in 24 hours by a single individual. The trial raised awareness about the toxicity of cigarette butts as well as the manufacturer's environmental responsibilities.

ButtRush's major goal was to raise awareness, provide study and analysis, and propose effective solutions to the problem throughout these surges. It was a one-of-a-kind 24-hour environmental marathon unlike any other environmental campaign.

Dutta has since taken several similar initiatives in Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi-NCR, the most recent of which occurred on December 11 of last year. The Delhi-NCR journey began in Noida, with stops in Delhi and Gurugram along the way.

ButtRush has gathered over 288 volunteers from nine states who have collectively travelled over 3000 kilometres and collected nearly 3,00,200 cigarette butts, setting a new record. They also want to provide a blueprint that countries may adopt to deal with the issue.