Formulación de una iniciativa de proyecto para el aprovechamiento de los residuos sólidos de colillas de cigarrillo generados por los visitantes de la colina de San Antonio, ubicada en la comuna 3 de la ciudad de Santiago de Cali

Abstract

Cigarette butts have become one of the most common solid waste in the streets of any city; they have three basic elements: filter, tobacco and wrapping, each with a large variety of chemical compounds. Negative impact of cigarette butts on the environment is not acknowledged yet by the active smokers, who throw cigarette butts out on the sidewalks. This waste is transported to stormwater pipes and finally discharged to superficial water, contaminating water sources. A 2017 study by the NGO Ocean Conservancy warned about cigarette butts account for 13% of all waste collected on beaches. According to the international environmental organization Greenpeace, the pollutant effect of cigarette butts in the environment can go from 7 to 12 years, considering their content of cadmium, arsenic, tar, toluene and other chemical compounds, especially when they are in contact with water, since each butt has the potential to contaminate about 50 liters of water. In order to contribute to mitigation of the problem previously described, a project was formulated, applying Logical Framework Methodology (MML), which aims to use cigarette butts generated by the visitors of San Antonio Hill, a popular touristic place, located at the commune 3 of the city of Santiago de Cali, Colombia. The project was exhibited in the theory of changes and outlined through a Tree of Objectives in order to achieve the aim. The proposal included the adaptation of special containers in situ for the collection of such waste and education campaigns for raising awareness of environmental risks for inadequate disposal of cigarette butts. The education campaigns should focused on permanent and temporary users of the park. The proposal also incorporates a methodology for transforming cigarette butts into useful products such as eyeglass frames by extraction of cellulose acetate, which comprises 17.5 % of the cigarette (component with the highest percentage). It is expected to contribute to the reduction of the environmental impact in both stormwater pipes and soil surrounding the San Antonio Hill, where it is proposed to carry out the current proposal.