Material recycling (French MéGO stream) or energy recovery, your choice. Figures ready to integrate into your CSRD, Ecovadis and ISO 14001 reports.
Over 700 sites equipped across Europe — they trust us
Our recycling service rests on a structured French value chain offering two paths: material recycling with our partner MéGO (the first French plant for cigarette butt processing, based in Brittany) or energy recovery at certified regional units. In both cases you benefit from full traceability and figures usable in your regulatory reports.
Material (MéGO) or regional energy recovery depending on your CSR strategy and geography.
No international transport, guaranteed traceability, exclusively French partners.
Volumes, CO₂ avoided, archived waste transfer notes. Direct integration into your regulatory reports.
EU SUP Directive, classified-site rules, regulatory audits covered as standard.
Galvanised steel Made in Picardie, 10,000 cigarette butt capacity, certified fire-safe hood, removable stainless steel inner cylinder — designed for clean, safe collection rounds.
Four steps, from your ashtray to its second material life. The videos play as you scroll, filmed at our partners.
Collection starts as soon as your ashtrays are installed. The cigarette butts are gathered in sealed containers (buckets, drums or HDPE bags) to avoid odours and any combustion risk. Logistics handled by our partner clikeco, present across continental Europe.
The containers are taken to regional partner sorting centres, where volumes are consolidated to optimise transport to the final treatment units. Grouped transport for 50 ashtrays represents a far smaller footprint than 50 individual journeys.
The cigarette butts are sorted and characterised according to the chosen stream. For material recycling, a fine sort separates cellulose acetate (the filter, a type of plastic) from tobacco and ashes. For energy recovery, sorting is lighter: the butts are prepared directly for incineration in cement plants.
The acetate filter is washed, dried, then turned into plastic granulate. The tobacco and ashes are composted or recovered separately. The granulate is used by MéGO and its partners to manufacture street furniture, insulation panels or various technical objects — a demonstrated material second life, not a promise.
The cigarette butts are dried then incinerated in certified cement plant units. The heat produced is used as substitute fuel in the cement-making process — each tonne of butts replaces the equivalent in coal or petroleum coke and indirectly powers the process electricity. More cost-effective than material recycling, but without component recovery.
A neutral comparison of the two streams to help you decide according to your strategy. Neither is universally better — the right choice depends on your context.
| Criterion | Material recycling (MéGO) | Energy recovery |
|---|---|---|
| Process | Fine sort + acetate separation + granulate transformation | Incineration in certified cement plant |
| End product | Reusable plastic granulate (street furniture, insulation) | Heat used as fuel |
| Main partner | MéGO (first French plant, Brittany) | Certified regional units |
| Cost | Higher (around +20 to 30 % vs energy recovery) | More cost-effective |
| Carbon footprint | More favourable on sites near MéGO | Variable depending on distance to the unit |
| CSR communication | Robust and defensible (material preserved) | Acceptable but less compelling |
| Waste transfer note traceability | ✓ Detailed MéGO certificate | ✓ Standard waste transfer note |
| Recommended for | Strong CSR commitment, demanding Ecovadis, CSRD | Sites far from MéGO, constrained budgets, baseline compliance |
Before 2017, material recycling of cigarette butts barely existed in France. The creation of MéGO structured a 100% French value chain, which materially changes the picture for companies engaged in a CSR approach.
Sorting, transformation, granulate manufacture: the entire chain takes place in France. No international transport, full traceability, compliance with French waste management standards.
The MéGO separation and transformation process has been through several years of industrial development. The granulate produced is technically comparable to standard recycled plastic, usable by French street furniture manufacturers.
Each collection generates a named waste transfer note and a precise volume. MéGO annual certificates are usable with your statutory auditor as part of CSRD audits.
Learn more about the MéGO chain ↗
Without a formalised value chain, several common risks should be anticipated for companies subject to CSR reporting:
A 100% French value chain, with full traceability at every step
Quick reply from our commercial team
An expert visits your site at no cost
MéGO + clikeco, waste transfer note traceability
Lasting investment, manufactured in Picardie
The final price depends on the stream you choose (material vs energy recovery), your geographic proximity to the MéGO plant, and the volume processed. Tell us your context and we send a tailored pricing grid within 24 business hours.
For our 2024 CSRD report, we needed robust figures on all waste, including diffuse streams like cigarette butts. The statutory auditor validated the MéGO certificate and the impact calculation provided by Easy to Change without reservation.
Receive your tailored pricing grid, or request your quote directly. Free audit, no commitment.
