At Unsmoke, our goal centres on community engagement and tangible action. We’re determined to play an active role in communities across Canada to take steps towards tackling litter and making an impact in the lives of all communities. Explore some of our partnerships and initiatives throughout this page!
UNSMOKE CANADA CLEANUPS
Every year, we grant thousands of dollars to organizations across Canada to organize litter cleanup events. Since 2019, Unsmoke has partnered with The Great Outdoors Fund to empower communities across Canada to reduce litter in the environment by collecting cigarette butts and other litter, and making sure it is all recycled properly. Specifically, we leverage our cigarette waste recycling partnership with TerraCycle to make sure the cellulose acetate cigarette filters that have been littered are removed from communities and recycled responsibly.
Click here to learn more about our five years of cleanups and the impact we have had.
This year Unsmoke is celebrating its 5th year! To mark this milestone, we will award $125,000 in funding to community groups across the country to host their own cleanups. Through this grant program, Unsmoke Canada and The Great Outdoors Fund encourage non-profit organizations with a connection to nature, outdoor recreation, outdoor conservation, health and wellness, volunteer engagement, and/or community service to apply for the grant and clean up their communities!
Check out the map to see the recipient organizations who will be hosting cleanups in 2024 – marking 5 years of community service to tackle cigarette butt litter!
How did we do last year? In 2023, the Unsmoke Canada Cleanups:
- Collected and recycled 1,704,314 cigarette butts – up more than 400,000 units from 2022
- Engaged more 2,862 volunteers from 25 organizations who donated 10,136 hours of their volunteer time
- Collected and recycled more than 75,000 kgs of litter from Canadian streets and wilderness areas
UNSMOKE TREE PLANTING INITIATIVES
One way we are giving back to communities is by supporting reforestation and sustainable forestry practices across Canada. These actions are important tools to tackle climate change and contribute to healthy environments for all Canadians. In 2023, we
planted more than 50,000 native trees and shrubs in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and New Brunswick.
UNSMOKE RECYCLING PARTNERSHIP
Unsmoke partners with TerraCycle to tackle post-consumer waste from combustible cigarettes and smoke-free products because it is the right thing to do. We have free programs in place allowing consumers to mail in their waste – free of charge – for responsible recycling.
UNSMOKE CIGARETTE BUTT RECYCLING PROGRAM (CIGARETTE BUTTS ONLY)
This program allows Canadians to recycle cigarette butts, getting more of the world’s most littered item out of our environment! This program is free to use for all Canadians. Click here to learn more about the program.
SMOKE-FREE RECYCLING PROGRAM (SMOKE-FREE PRODUCTS)
This program ensures that Canadians can recycle ALL types of vape pods, vape devices, and heated tobacco. It’s an important step towards a circular economy, where products and materials live a longer life instead of being wasted. This program is free to use for all Canadians. Click here to learn more about the program.
There’s no doubt Canada can be a global leader in reducing the harm caused by smoking, but it requires actionable steps, such as creating policy that differentiates between smoke-free products and cigarettes.
THE WORLD IS CHANGING - IT’S TIME TO CHANGE WITH IT.
