Cigarette stubs are the most prevalent form of plastic waste on the planet, with a staggering 4.5 trillion discarded stubs polluting our environment. In the bustling streets of Noida, two brothers, Naman Gupta and Vipul Gupta, set out to tackle this pressing environmental issue and find a sustainable solution.

Naman was in his third year of BCom when he first noticed the ever-growing piles of discarded cigarette butts strewn across streets, parks, and public spaces around him. “Wherever we went, the issue of cigarette butts was impossible to ignore. It wasn’t just a local problem in Delhi-NCR, but one that spanned the entire country,” he recalls.

“There were no adequate disposal systems in place and no regulations for recycling this waste. I realised this was a problem that needed a solution,” he adds.

In 2018, Naman and his brother, Vipul, co-founded Code Effort Private Limited. Together, they set out to create a new form of recycling technology that could transform cigarette stubs into reusable and environmentally friendly materials.

“Code Effort is the brainchild of my brother,” Vipul shares. “When he first shared his vision to combat the growing environmental crisis by recycling cigarette butts, I immediately believed in his mission. His determination to make a positive impact on our planet resonated with me, and I joined him.”

Tackling waste from the source

Their first step was addressing the lack of infrastructure for collecting cigarette waste. After extensive research, the brothers came up with the idea of ‘V bins’. As Naman explains, “We realised that without the proper infrastructure to collect cigarette butts, recycling would be nearly impossible. So, we installed V bins in places like cigarette shops, offices, and commercial spaces, particularly in designated smoking areas, to make sure the waste was collected at the source.”

“Unlike traditional waste bins, our V bins are specifically designed to collect only cigarette butts. This ensures that the waste remains separate from other trash, preventing it from ending up in landfills or contributing to environmental pollution,” he explains. “Additionally, they are both waterproof and fireproof, making them safe for public spaces.” In six years, the startup has successfully installed over 2,00,000 V bins across the country.

With the V bins in place, Code Effort began its recycling journey. “The collected cigarette butts are transported to our facility in Noida, Sector 134, where they undergo a meticulous process to separate their........

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