Resident proposes countywide cigarette-filter recycling program

At the May 19 Marquette County Board of Commissioners meeting, a resident who has been collecting cigarette filters for four years urged the board to adopt a countywide cigarette-filter recycling program and asked for financial support.

Orchid Brown said she has been operating a cigarette-butt recycling pilot in Marquette that collected nine pounds of filters over the winter and has been shipping material to TerraCycle for processing. "Please put your butts in our cans," she said, offering to provide a county-maintained spreadsheet of recycling locations and six months of hands-on collection if the county will fund the program. Brown said the filtersdo not biodegrade, can carry nicotine and other toxins into waterways and increase wildfire risk if discarded carelessly.

Brown described a three-part proposal: install covered collection cans across the county; deliver a spreadsheet for the county website that lists recycling options by jurisdiction; and provide ongoing collection and coordination through a short-term contract. She said some locations already host collection points, including Saint Vincent de Paul and the city Carnegie Library, and proposed expanding to townships where distance hinders participation.

The chair thanked Brown for her presentation; staff confirmed paperwork and an invoice are on file for commissioners to review. The speaker returned during the final public-comment period to reiterate the request and to press for a funding decision, saying she will continue to bring results and metrics to future meetings until the program is supported.

The board did not vote on funding during the meeting; instead, members acknowledged receipt of the proposal and directed staff to review the paperwork and cost estimate provided.