Castaway cigarette butts may soon find a new home in asphalt road mixtures, where they can help prevent cracking and improve flexibility.

Researchers from the University of Granada and the University of Bologna, with funding assistance from the Chinese government, have proposed using discarded cigarette butts — especially the filters from e-cigarettes — as a reinforcing element for new asphalt mixtures.

E-cigarette filters were a focus of the researchers, since they contain more of the sought-after cellulose and PLA (polylactic acid) fiber material than traditional tobacco cigarettes, according to a report by New Atlas.

Asphalt is a particularly carbon-intensive material that can be a mixture of many different chemicals and is used for millions of roads and other surfaces across the globe.

It involves mixing bitumen — a viscous petroleum-based material — with gravel and other aggregates at temperatures of up to 662 degrees Fahrenheit.

Both the dirty fuel components and the high temperatures involved with asphalt have contributed to over 220 million tons of carbon pollution between 2009 and 2019, accounting for 0.3% of all carbon pollution in the U.S. that final year.

The researchers used a double-recycling approach by incorporating reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) from deteriorating roads, along with filter materials from e-cigarette butts (E-CBs) that were compressed into pellets.

A non-RAP mixture was used as a control group for their testing.

According to the study, the RAP-containing mixtures provided higher tensile strength, stiffness, and fatigue resistance than the non-RAP mixture, proving that recycled versions can outperform carbon-heavy raw materials.

In addition, the Fischer-Tropsch-type wax that was used as a binder for the pellets makes it possible to modify the viscosity of the bitumen and reduce the manufacturing temperatures needed to produce it. That further reduces energy use and pollution from this novel asphalt mixture.

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A pilot program across five U.S. states was launched in 2023 to incorporate hard-to-recycle plastic bags and discarded printer ink cartridges into asphalt mixtures to help reduce the need for mining raw materials and reduce waste.

Other research has found success by using microscopic spores packed with recycled oils that can help paving surfaces self-heal to fight cracking.

Asphalt paving has been the dominant choice in the U.S., accounting for 94.2% of the 2.9 million miles of road surfaces across the country, according to IBISWorld's statistics.

By incorporating recycled materials into asphalt mixtures, we can support a circular economy, reduce the need for new mining projects, and provide a more resilient alternative for our expanding transportation infrastructure.

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