Designer Alexandra Guerrero has found a way of recycling millions of dirty and toxic cigarette butts, which are often thrown away every day, into safe and eco friendly clothing, combining purified smokes with wool to form a raw, textured material that can be knit into garments with a modern macramé kind of look. Purifying up to 95 per cent, the cigarette butts are first put through sterilizing autoclaves twice, washed in a polar solvent, and then rinsed.
Only then the filter tissue is shredded, mixed with other fibres, and spun, resulting into yarns that can create an interesting visual texture. Started as an idea for the designer’s thesis project, the innovation is now transformed into an entire hand-knit clothing line called Mantis, comprising of quirky ponchos, sweaters and dresses, as well as accessories such as hats, making it possible for researchers to make this kind of yarn commercial in the near future.
