Every day, millions of cigarette butts are thrown onto our streets, polluting the environment. But what if we could turn them into something useful? Here you are PavécO: an innovation that is transforming this waste into eco-friendly floors, offering a sustainable solution to the problem of cigarette butt pollution.
A global problem
Every day, the streets of our cities are littered with cigarette butts. These small wastes, often ignored or underestimated, represent a great threat to the environment. Each butt contains up to 4.000 chemical and toxic products. And if you think they disappear quickly, you are wrong. It can take anywhere from 1 to 50 years for a cigarette butt to completely degrade. And while we wait, they contaminate the soil, water and air.
Faced with this challenge, the French startup PavécO decided to act. As? Transforming cigarette butts into durable and sustainable ecological floors. And not only that: the entire production process takes place locally in Bordeaux, further reducing the environmental impact.
How does the transformation of cigarette butts into floors work?
The process begins with the collection of butts through devices called "pose clops". Once collected, the cigarette butts are transformed into flooring by a PavécO supplier. And to ensure that the process has no negative impacts on the environment, two control methods are used: the analysis of emissions generated during the “cooking” of the floors and a test to evaluate the effect of the floors on water.
But PavécO doesn't stop at recycling. The company has a clear vision: to fight cigarette butt pollution at its root. These floors are not only a way to reuse cigarette butts, but also a strong message: we can and must do more to protect our planet.
A winning collaboration
Behind PavécO there are two companies: Recycléo, specialized in waste recycling, and Grès de Gascogne, a ceramic company. Together, they developed an effective system for turning an environmental problem into a sustainable solution. Is the result? Beautiful, durable and, above all, ecological floors. Waiting for the cigarettes are sent into prehistory (with related smoking diseases) a world where pollution is a growing concern, solutions like PavécO are more than welcome. Not only are they tackling an environmental problem, but they are also showing that, with a little creativity and effort, we can build a greener, more sustainable future.
