Cigarette Filter as Main Component of Paper Glue

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

The government has implemented the Republic Act No. 9211 or Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003. Currently, there are millionsof Filipinos who smoke despite the health risks. This massive consumption leads to the problem of cigarette filters’ waste management. As a response to this particular problem on waste, the researchers devised a way to make paper glue from a reusable waste, cigarette filters, as its main component. Effective utilization of used cigarette filters will aid in reducing the generation of this waste.

METHODS

Two experimental set-ups, Set-up A with 10 g of cigarette filters and Set-up B with 14 g of cigarette filters and one control, which is a commercial paper glue. The paper glue was made by melting the cigarette filters in 240 ml of acetone. After it was melted, they were stirred until they mixed with the acetone and become viscous. The test performed to gather the data was viscosity test at Food Science Cluster at the University of the Philippines, Los BaÑos, Laguna, the time it took for the paper glue to dry was recorded and the test for adhesiveness was the pull-off test. For testing the normality of the distribution, the Shapiro Wilk Test was utilized. The results within the two setups and control are not normally distributed. Having that, Kruskal Wallis test with post hoc was used.

RESULTS

Kruskal Wallis test showed that the null hypothesis was rejected with a 0.05 level of significance. Based on the results, Set-up A, with 10 g of cigarette filters, and the control set-up have a high significant difference, while set-up B, and with 14 g of cigarette filters and control have no significant difference. In terms of viscosity and drying time, it appears that set-up B with 14 g of cigarette filters performed better results the same as the control. In addition to this, the product has less adhesive properties than the commercial one in terms of adhesiveness.

DISCUSSIONS

After the said results, the study seeks for recommendation to use a reagent, which has the low concentration to lessen the toxicity content of the paper glue. Overexposure of humans to high concentrated acetone may lead to severe health conditions. The researchers also suggest providing additional additives and performing further laboratory tests to enhance the properties of the paper glue such as its drying time, viscosity and stickiness contribute to the study.