Towards a Circular Economy: Unlocking the Potentials of Cigarette Butt Recycling as a Resource for Seashore Paspalum Growth

Thais Huarancca Reyes, Marco Volterrani, Lorenzo Guglielminetti () and Andrea Scartazza
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Thais Huarancca Reyes: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Marco Volterrani: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Lorenzo Guglielminetti: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Andrea Scartazza: Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems, National Research Council, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 15, 1-15

Abstract: The cigarette butt (CB) recycling process yields several byproducts, including cleaned filters, solid debris (mainly paper and tobacco), and wastewater. This study aimed to assess, for the first time, the long-term suitability of these recycled byproducts for turfgrass cultivation. Under controlled conditions, Paspalum vaginatum Swartz was grown in sand–peat substrate, either unmodified (control) or amended with small pieces of uncleaned CBs or solid byproducts from CB recycling at concentrations of 25% or 50% ( v / v ). In additional tests, turfgrass grown in unmodified substrate received wastewater instead of tap water once or twice weekly. Over 7 weeks, physiological and biometric parameters were assessed. Plants grown with solid debris showed traits comparable to the control. Those grown with intact CBs or cleaned filters had similar biomass and coverage as the control but accumulated more carotenoids and antioxidants. Wastewater significantly enhanced plant growth when applied once weekly, while becoming toxic when applied twice, reducing biomass and coverage. After scalping, turfgrass recovered well across all treatments, and in some cases biomass improved. Overall, recycled CB byproducts, particularly wastewater used at optimal concentrations, can be a sustainable resource for promoting turfgrass growth.

Keywords: Paspalum vaginatum; recycling waste; biomass; chlorophyll fluorescence; photosynthetic pigments; antioxidants (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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