FUMUS: A Cigarette Butt Collector with Biodegradation

FUMUS is more than a product—it’s a statement.
 Rooted in design and driven by impact, FUMUS reflects our belief that sustainability must extend beyond material choices to reshape everyday behaviors and community engagement.

Named after the Latin word for "smoke," FUMUS offers a novel, biomaterial-based solution to one of the world’s most overlooked urban pollutants: the cigarette butt. Though small in size, cigarette butts are, in fact, the most frequently discarded waste item globally. Their filters, made of cellulose acetate—a form of plastic—are often mistaken for organic matter due to their soft appearance. This misconception has led to massive, invisible pollution. Worse still, the casual habit of flicking cigarette butts onto the ground makes collection and separation from general waste extremely difficult.

At FUMUS, we see design not as decoration, but as intervention. Research has shown that, with proper pretreatment, oyster mushrooms can break down and grow on cigarette butts. This insight inspired our mission: to create a public infrastructure that not only collects but also begins the process of degrading cigarette waste using mycelium (mushroom)-powered bioremediation.

Standing 91 cm tall, the FUMUS collector is built from renewable biomaterials: a durable shell cultivated from mushrooms. Users put their cigarette butts into the central opening—where the glass layer offers UV light and sun light pretreatment. The cigarette butts are then funneled downward into a chamber filled with nutrient-rich soil and mycelium, initiating the decomposition process.

But FUMUS is not just a bin. It’s a pause point—a gentle invitation to slow down and connect. Its thoughtfully designed platform allows users to rest their drinks, while the lower ring offers a footrest. Whether it's a brief chat or a solitary moment, FUMUS becomes a part of the everyday rhythm of public life.

More than functional infrastructure, FUMUS is also a public art piece. The accumulation of cigarettes butts within the transparent section makes the invisible visible—transforming waste into a shared reflection of our collective habits. Its presence in public space serves not only as a solution, but as a symbol of community responsibility, sustainability, and change.