Cigarette butts make roads stronger than ever before
But that may be starting to change. Scientists have developed a way to recycle cigarette butts into asphalt, creating roads that are both stronger and more sustainable. Research teams from the University of Granada in Spain and the University of Bologna in Italy have studied the process closely, highlighting its potential to improve road performance while cutting down on waste.
Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy ReportGet my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you'll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide — free when you join my CYBERGUY.COM/NEWSLETTER.
Modern road construction often relies on additives to improve the strength and flexibility of asphalt. Some road-building materials already use cellulose fibers like those found in cigarette filters. That sparked the idea to take used butts, clean them up and put them to work.
E-cigarette filters are especially promising. They are longer and packed with fibers like cellulose and polylactic acid (PLA) fibers, making them ideal for reinforcing asphalt.
The recycling process involves several steps:
1. Collecting and sorting: Filters from traditional and e-cigarettes go through a collection and cleaning process. Ash and residue are removed, leaving behind usable fiber material.
2. Shredding and mixing: Machines shred the cleaned fibers and combine them with synthetic hydrocarbon wax, which serves as a binder.
3. Pellet formation: The blended material is pressed, heated and cut into small pellets that can be easily stored and transported.
4. Asphalt integration: These pellets are added to reclaimed asphalt and bitumen. During heating, the pellets melt and release reinforcing fibers that strengthen the final asphalt mix.
Up to 40% of the final road material can come from these recycled components.
Recycled cigarette butts make asphalt stronger, more flexible and longer-lasting. The fibers released during mixing act as micro reinforcement, improving fatigue resistance and helping roads withstand heavy traffic and temperature changes. The wax in the pellets lowers the temperature needed to mix asphalt, reducing both energy use and emissions during production. Beyond performance, this method gives cigarette waste a second life. By repurposing billions of discarded filters, cities can reduce litter and pollution while building more sustainable infrastructure.
This technique is still emerging, but interest is growing worldwide. In Bratislava, Slovakia, city officials have already started collecting cigarette butts specifically for road construction. One road built with this recycled asphalt is already in use, setting an example for other cities to follow.
As more pilot projects roll out and awareness spreads, cigarette butts could shift from toxic litter to a valuable resource in sustainable infrastructure.
Recycling cigarette butts into asphalt solves two problems at once. It clears toxic waste from public spaces and makes roads that last longer. This approach turns one of the world's most common pollutants into a valuable construction material. As more cities explore cleaner, smarter infrastructure, this kind of solution could play a big role in the future of street design.
Would you support roads built with recycled cigarette butts in your city? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com/Contact
Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy ReportGet my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you'll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide — free when you join my CYBERGUY.COM/NEWSLETTER
Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Kevin O'Leary Says New Executives Get No Stock Options, No Benefits, And No Full-Time Title Until They Prove Themselves, Just Like The Swiss
Kevin O'Leary says he has completely changed the way he hires executives, and is apparently taking inspiration from Swiss business culture. The investor and television personality explained in a recent post on X, 'No stock options, no benefits, no full-time title... until they prove it. I learned this from the Swiss, and it's revolutionized our operations.' A Six-Month Trial Instead Of A Full-Time Commitment O'Leary described the approach in a video, using the example of hiring a new CEO for a growing venture. Once he narrowed the field to two candidates, he asked one: 'Would you consider becoming a contractor for six months as opposed to a fully empowered employee, and we'll pay you 30% more than your base contract's going to be? No stock options, no benefits for the six-month period. But wouldn't you like to test us first?' Don't Miss: The same firms that backed Uber, Venmo and eBay are investing in this pre-IPO company disrupting a $1.8T market — Bill Gates Warned About Water Scarcity. The idea, he said, is to give both sides the chance to 'road test' each other, making sure the candidate integrates well with the existing team and the parent company. 'Don't you want that experience?' he recalled asking. In this case, the candidate agreed. O'Leary calls it an "apprentice" model, common in Switzerland and across Europe, where the focus is on confirming a cultural fit before offering a permanent position. 'We don't do [this] in America,' he said. 'And we should do it.' He noted that about two-thirds of candidates complete the trial and move on to full-time roles with stock options and benefits. The remaining third leave on good terms, having gained valuable experience but deciding the position isn't right for them. 'We're not firing anybody,' he said. 'Those Swiss guys got it right.' Trending: 'Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. You can Business Is Binary, Says O'Leary For O'Leary, this hiring method is just one example of his direct approach to business. "Business is binary. There are winners and losers. You either make money or you don't," he posted on X last year. He believes success requires relentless effort, especially for young entrepreneurs. "If you want to succeed in business you have to work 25 hours a day because there's someone across the world who will kick your a*s if you don't." He advises those in their 20s to forget about work-life balance while building a business, stressing that the competition is global and tireless. "You're competing with people in Mumbai or Shanghai who are willing to work 24 hours a day, eight days a week," he said last year.O'Leary adds that the early years are the best time to make sacrifices, because "In your 20s, you can afford the time, the focus and all the stress that comes with building something from the ground up. You should start thinking about taking some time off only after establishing that foundation." For O'Leary, sacrifice, preparation, and persistence are non-negotiable. Whether it's a new hire or a new venture, the standard remains the same: prove yourself. Read Next: 2,000 High Earners Manage $6B With This AI Platform — UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Kevin O'Leary Says New Executives Get No Stock Options, No Benefits, And No Full-Time Title Until They Prove Themselves, Just Like The Swiss originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Rillet Raises $70M From Andreessen Horowitz To Replace 'Dumb Databases' With AI Accounting That Closes Books In Hours
When Nicolas Kopp led German digital bank N26's U.S. operations, he learned that world-class finance teams were often slowed by outdated systems, forcing them to wait weeks for critical metrics despite working at high speed. That frustration planted the seed for Rillet, an AI-native enterprise resource planning platform built by accountants to modernize how companies handle their books. Now, Rillet said it secured $70 million in Series B funding co-led by Andreessen Horowitz and ICONIQ, bringing total funding to over $100 million in less than a year. Don't Miss: The same firms that backed Uber, Venmo and eBay are investing in this pre-IPO company disrupting a $1.8T market — Bill Gates Warned About Water Scarcity. Funding Round Unites Venture Capital Heavyweights and Expands Board Leadership The $70 million raise includes participation from Sequoia, Oak HC/FT, and earlier investors, arriving just 10 weeks after Rillet's $25 million Series A. The company said the funding will accelerate Rillet's push to rebuild enterprise accounting from the ground up, giving finance leaders the ability to scale multi-billion-dollar companies with smaller, more efficient teams. As part of the round, Andreessen Horowitz General Partner Alex Rampell and ICONIQ General Partner Seth Pierrepont are joining Rillet's board of directors. "Finance teams deserve the same AI advantages that have revolutionized sales, engineering, and legal," Rampell said in the company's statement, while Pierrepont noted that the company's AI-native approach "can give companies a clear edge: faster insights, leaner teams, and smarter decisions." Trending: 'Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. You can Cutting Close Times From Weeks to Days With AI-Native Architecture Founded by Kopp and Stelios Modes, the technical architect who built N26's payment infrastructure, Rillet was designed to eliminate the inefficiencies of legacy systems owned by large incumbents such as Oracle (NYSE:ORCL), Sage, and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT). The company's leadership team includes former executives and accountants from EY, PwC, and other major firms, embedding industry expertise into every workflow. Rillet has signed more than 200 customers since launch, doubling its annual recurring revenue over the last 12 weeks and forming partnerships with top accounting firms like Armanino and Wiss. Clients such as Postscript, which generates over $100 million in annual recurring revenue, close their books in just three days using Rillet, while Windsurf manages its entire finance operation with a team of two people. The platform integrates directly with tools including Salesforce (NYSE:CRM), Stripe, and Brex, pulling structured data into its AI-powered general ledger. Legacy enterprise resource planning systems, described by Rillet as "dumb databases," often store transactions but leave teams dependent on spreadsheets and add-on approach eliminates that gap, enabling finance teams to collaborate in real time, automate workflows natively, and generate instant insights without relying on bolt-ons. Implementation can be completed in as little as four weeks, compared with up to 12 months for many legacy systems. Rillet Targets $500B Market Amid CPA Talent Shortage and 80% Automation Potential The American Institute of Certified Public Accountant has reported that 75% of today's public accounting CPAs are expected to retire within the next 15 years. In the meantime, Accenture estimates that about 80% of routine financial operations could be automated through technologies such as touchless continuous accounting and human-machine collaboration. Rillet aims to address both challenges by enabling finance teams to operate with fewer people while focusing on higher-value strategic analysis rather than manual processes. Looking ahead, Rillet says it plans to expand its AI capabilities, deepen integrations across the financial technology stack, and build toward a collaborative environment where AI agents and human experts manage financial performance together. Several customers are expected to go public within the next six to 12 months using Rillet's platform. Read Next: 2,000 High Earners Manage $6B With This AI Platform — Image: Shutterstock Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Rillet Raises $70M From Andreessen Horowitz To Replace 'Dumb Databases' With AI Accounting That Closes Books In Hours originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Scientists make key breakthrough that could solve major issue with EV batteries: 'The idea is to keep it simple'
Czech researchers have developed a new method for recycling rare earth minerals from electric vehicle batteries using just water and basic laboratory conditions, according to a recent report from Radio Prague International. The Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry focused its research on neodymium magnets, the strongest permanent magnets known to man. These powerful components drive EVs, smartphones, and wind turbines — but their production creates massive environmental challenges. Traditional mining and refining processes require hundreds of reactors, generate radioactive waste, and produce enormous amounts of acids and toxic byproducts. "The idea is to keep it simple, something that doesn't require extremely difficult conditions that would be hard to reproduce on an industrial scale," IOCB researcher Kelsea Jones explained, per Radio Prague International. The team's method uses water as a solvent and operates at room temperature, eliminating the need for harsh chemicals or extreme conditions. The process employs chelating agents, or organic molecules that bond with metal ions. Scientists add these agents to dissolved magnets, creating compounds with individual rare earth elements that can then be filtered by weight. The team processed magnets through several separation cycles and obtained neodymium with 99.7% purity, more than enough to produce new magnets. Reusing battery materials will reduce the risk of toxins leaching into soil and groundwater, and it will decrease resource depletion — a problem that often creates unsafe mining operations. EVs already help to improve air quality in our cities and reduce pollution compared to gas-powered cars, and more accessible battery recycling could help to accelerate EV adoption by making them more cost-effective. The Czech researchers have secured patents for their EV battery recycling method and are seeking commercial partners to bring this technology to market. Their breakthrough is a great example of the innovation needed to build a cleaner, more sustainable future — one that benefits both people and the planet. For those looking to make their next car an EV, this new recycling technology could also mean that even more affordable options are ahead. Should America invest more in EV battery tech? Absolutely No way Only if it brings down prices Only if it helps us compete with China Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
