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This Man Conserves Environment By Collecting Thousands Of Cigarette Filters For Recycling
Writer: Varnika Srivastava
She is an upcoming millennial journalist, gushing in the 21st century to bring the authentic piece of information to the citizens.
West Bengal, 8 April 2022 1:50 PM GMT | Updated 8 April 2022 3:58 PM GMT
Editor : Shiva Chaudhary |
A post-graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication with relevant skills, specialising in content editing & writing. I believe in the precise dissemination of information based on facts to the public.
Creatives : Shiva Chaudhary
A post-graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication with relevant skills, specialising in content editing & writing. I believe in the precise dissemination of information based on facts to the public.
Nirit Datta started the project 'ButtRush', which has gained more than 288 volunteers from nine states who have collectively travelled over 3000 kilometres and achieved a milestone by collecting approximately 3,00,200 cigarette butts.
Smoking is hazardous for your health, but it is also bad for the environment. Although cigarette butt appears to be made of cotton, it contains cellulose acetate, a harmful plastic to the soil in which it is eventually dumped.
To bring a slight change in our environment, a former IT professional, Nirit Datta, has started a campaign and is determined to make a difference, however big or small. Nirit, the founder of ButtRush, has launched a unique initiative where he collects cigarettes filters in thousands to help get them recycled.
Launch Of ButtRush
Cigarette butts are a dangerous and relatively unknown source of microplastics in the oceans, and heavy metal contamination in water contributes significantly to the planet's deterioration.
Nirit Datta, India's first Conservation Tech Evangelist, launched Project Buttrush in April 2021, with a trial run on April 24 in Kolkata to set a world record for the most number of cigarette butts gathered in 24 hours by an individual. The trial run also raised awareness about the toxicity of cigarette butts and the manufacturer's responsibility towards the environment.
About ButtRush
The main motive behind ButtRush was to create awareness, generate research and analysis through these rushes, and also provide successful alternatives to the issue. It is a 24-hour environmental marathon that was unlike any other ecological campaign.
Nirit Datta mentioned, "We start at 4 am in the morning and continue till 4 am the next day. No one is supposed to sleep. They can take breaks but keep moving," quoted The New Indian Express.
Achievements & Aspirations
Since after this marathon, many similar initiatives were taken by Dutta in Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi-NCR—the last of which occurred on December 11 of last year. The Delhi-NCR drive began in Noida, and the team then proceeded to Delhi and Gurugram.
ButtRush has gained more than 288 volunteers from nine states who have collectively travelled over 3000 kilometres and achieved a milestone by collecting approximately 3,00,200 cigarette butts.
Rather than simply collecting waste, ButtRush plans to travel across India to collect data, conduct research, and develop a sustainable model to combat pollution at its source. They also intend to create a template that governments can use to address the problem.
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