How to reuse cigarette filters to store energy

Collect those discarded cigarette butts. South Korean researchers have found a way to convert the used filters into a material that can be used to store energy.

The study was published in the journal Nanotechnology on Tuesday. The researchers from Seoul National University took the filters, composed mainly of cellulose acetate fibers, and turned them into a carbon-based material called a supercapacitor, which they said “stores more power, charges quicker and lasts longer than available storage alternatives.”

“Carbon is one of the promising materials considered for use in supercapacitors due to its low cost, high porosity, electronic conductivity and stability,” the study said.