While a student at the School of Fine Arts Design, Nayely Martínez never liked to smoke, although it is a habit considered normal in some people.
“When I started to investigate the subject I realized that the whole city is full of butts, ” recalls the 27-year-old in an interview for the newspaper El Universal .
After the damage that cigarette butts cause to the ecosystem, Nayely created Verde Halago , an organization that cares about the preservation of the environment.
This group collects cigarette butts to give them a second use, transforming them into personalized pots or plates, which are acquired as decoration by hotels.
The young woman considers it necessary to raise awareness in the smoking community so that they do not throw cigarette butts anywhere. The premise of Verde Halago is to offer a better future to the following generations.
“Experimenting with natural substances motivated me to generate a material that eliminates toxic residues from the environment and everything led me to research new recycling options,” he says.
“With natural substances I was motivated to generate a material that eliminates toxic waste from the environment and everything led me to research new recycling options.”
Eco Halago green pots are made with a mixture of paper and cigarette butts. The materials work like a sponge that retains moisture for days so that the plants stay hydrated.
Cigarette butts are a problematic waste all over the world. By the day millions end up on the street and in the oceans. A 2011 report from the Ocean Conservancy indicates that a single cigarette butt can contaminate up to eight liters of seawater and 50 liters of drinking water.
The work area of the collective led by Nayely Martínez boats the area of Cancun and Playa del Carmen. They also established contact with hotel chains to organize the “Colillatón”, a day of collection of this waste that is carried out since 2017.
“We arrived at the hotel chains through the employees of Verde Halago. When seeing good results, they invited other brands to participate. All this time is how it has grown and more companies have joined every year, “says Nayely.
Source: mexicoprimeronoticias
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