Launch of the Easy To Change service

Press release:
One cigarette butt in the ashtray = a donation to a charity

The startup Easy to Compost is launching the "Easy To Change" service, a social reward for sorting cigarette butts—an innovation that encourages smokers to change their habits, for the benefit of everyone.

Invisible but massive pollution

According to the NGO Surfrider Foundation, 40 to 50% of cigarette butts smoked outdoors end up directly on the ground, despite the presence of ashtrays. Yet a single cigarette butt is enough to pollute up to 500 liters of water (source: Gestes Propres). In France, this represents nearly 30 billion cigarette butts thrown away each year (ADEME, 2020).

Beyond their environmental impact, cigarette butts damage the image of businesses, communities, and public spaces. Storefronts, reception areas, parking lots, and terraces are the most affected areas, giving an impression of abandonment and neglect.

An incentive-based approach rather than one that induces guilt

Discussions about ecology are no longer effective, and awareness campaigns are failing to significantly improve recycling rates. In light of this, Easy To Change advocates positive incentives rather than guilt-tripping individuals for their behavior.

Every gram of cigarette butts collected now generates a donation of one cent to a charity. A gesture often perceived as negative thus becomes a positive collective act.

A comprehensive service for smoking areas

Easy to Change offers comprehensive management services designed to simplify life for organizations and ensure cleanliness:
- installation of stylish, secure ashtrays,
- regular cleaning of smoking areas,
- collection and transport of cigarette butts,
- clean-up and recycling via specialized channels.

This service ensures clean, safe, and welcoming outdoor spaces, while strengthening the CSR approach of companies and local authorities.

Stylish and fireproof ashtrays

To support this initiative, Easy to Change has developed a range of unique ashtrays. Designed in collaboration with designer Clémence Germain, they are designed to blend harmoniously into urban and professional environments.

Each model incorporates a fire prevention system designed by our engineers that prevents fires and meets the safety standards applicable to establishments open to the public. Design and safety thus combine to transform the smoking area into a valued and controlled space.

A social and solidarity-based innovation

The societal reward mechanism has already proven its worth in Northern Europe for other types of waste. Easy to Change is introducing it for the first time in France for cigarette butts.
This system creates a virtuous circle:
- Smokers are encouraged to adopt good habits,
- Organizations benefit from cleaner spaces and enhance their image among employees and visitors, while associations have a new source of funding.

Easy to Change is already working with renowned associations such as Wings of the Ocean (ocean protection), Imagine for Margo (fighting childhood cancer), and No Plastic in My Sea (preventing plastic pollution).

A founding statement

"We want to transform an action perceived as negative into a positive collective act. With Easy to Change, we are transforming an environmental problem into a tool for solidarity, while making smoking areas cleaner and more pleasant," says Nicolas Piffeteau, founder of Easy to Change.

About Easy to Change

Easy to Change is a service launched in 2025 by Caetera, the company behind Easy to Compost, a pioneering solution for managing bio-waste and composting in businesses. With Easy to Change, Caeterra is expanding its activities by offering a new, concrete response to a major environmental challenge: cigarette butt pollution. By combining cleanliness, design, and social innovation, Easy to Change transforms everyday waste into a lever for solidarity. This approach is in line with Caeterra's mission: to develop an ecosystem of practical and accessible solutions to support organizations in their environmental and societal transition.

Ask yourself the right questions!

Is it possible to recycle cigarette butts?

Yes, but it's not that simple. Cigarette butts are hazardous waste, made of plastic (cellulose acetate) and saturated with toxic substances. Their recovery therefore requires specialized channels. Today, there are several solutions in France: some partners transform them into substitute fuel for industrial furnaces (particularly in cement plants), while others clean them and recycle them into insulation, street furniture, or recycled plastics.

In all cases, structured collection of cigarette butts is an essential prerequisite. A suitable ashtray, emptied regularly and integrated into a collection solution, ensures the quality of sorting and reduces diffuse pollution. By choosing a solution that goes as far as recovery, you are doing more than just meeting your obligations: you are actively participating in the reduction of polluting waste and giving meaning to an often-neglected daily gesture.

Smoking areas: what do the regulations say?

Smoking in enclosed public spaces is prohibited, except in designated smoking areas that are separate, ventilated, and clearly marked. Outdoors, there is no obligation to provide designated areas, but the employer or site manager remains responsible for cleanliness, safety, and preventing nuisances. Installing an ashtray is not legally mandatory, but it is currently the only recognized way to limit pollution from cigarette butts, which are considered non-biodegradable and polluting waste.

In public spaces, local authorities set the rules: some install ashtrays or launch awareness campaigns, while others issue fines for littering cigarette butts (up to €135). But in all cases, it is up to the company, landlord, or site manager to take the lead. A well-placed, well-sized, visible ashtray prevents dozens of cigarette butts from ending up on the ground—and shows that the issue is being taken seriously.

Which ashtray should a company choose?

All businesses are affected by cigarette butt management, but few really know what type of ashtray is best suited to their needs. Traffic volume, exposure to the elements, safety constraints, visibility, accessibility... these are all criteria to consider in order to avoid overflow, incivility, or unsuitable collection points. Standing ashtrays meet all of these requirements: sturdy, mobile if necessary, visible, and high-capacity, they are the most reliable and versatile solution.

That's why we have chosen to offer only free-standing ashtrays, designed specifically for intensive professional use. Easy to use, durable and attractive, they fit perfectly into any outdoor environment. Combined with our collection and cleaning service, they allow you to create clean, practical and compliant smoking areas... without any worries.

Outdoor ashtrays: why is a standing ashtray the best option?

For a business, an outdoor ashtray must above all be visible, accessible, stable, and easy to maintain. This is exactly what freestanding models offer. Unlike wall-mounted ashtrays, which are often undersized or poorly positioned, freestanding ashtrays can be installed where they are really needed—break areas, entrances, designated smoking areas—and offer sufficient capacity to prevent overflow. Their sturdy construction allows for outdoor use in all weather conditions.

We don't compromise: all our ashtrays are freestanding, designed for businesses and local authorities that want a solution that is robust, elegant, and functional. Their sleek design encourages good behavior and is part of a clean and attractive layout. By offering a comprehensive cigarette butt management service, we go beyond simply supplying equipment: we provide a concrete solution to a problem that is often poorly addressed.