Portland Restaurant Owner Proves a Smokey Point on Earth Day

If you were anywhere near Monument Square yesterday, you saw a bit more commotion than your average Wednesday in the city, even with the Farmer's Market going on. Much of that hub-bub was around a Portland restaurant owner who was making his Earth Day statement by shoveling 60,000 cigarette butts into Monument Square.

Not only was Mike Roylos, owner of the Spartan Grill, making an Earth Day statement yesterday but he was also trying to raise awareness and sponsors for a local recycling campaign and cleanup effort.

The cigarette butts were collected in new "Sidewalk Buttler" receptacles recently installed on posts along Congress, Exchange, Commercial and a few other downtown streets. According to a new story by The Portland Press Herald:

The receptacles are emptied regularly by workfare volunteers who receive benefits through the city’s General Assistance program, Roylos said. He bags and ships the butts to a recycling company that separates the biodegradable tobacco and paper from the plastic filters, which are recycled into new plastic products.

It costs $69 to sponsor a SideWalk Buttler. So far, the receptacles have been sponsored by the city, the Natural Resources Council of Maine and other donors.

To learn more about sponsoring one or more SideWalk Buttlers, contact Roylos atsidewalkbuttler@gmail.com.

Did you do anything yesterday to honor Earth Day? Post in the comments below or on Facebook