There’s a new bench near the Ventura Pier, and it’s made out of thousands of recycled cigarette butts.
The installation is a joint effort between the City of Ventura and the Surfrider Foundation.
Juli Marciel with the Foundation says cigarette butts are a big problem.
"Cigarette filters are made out of plastic and they don't biodegrade and they're filled with toxins. And trillions of them go into the environment every year," she says.
That’s why the Surfrider Foundation has a Hold On To Your Butt campaign to encourage people to avoid throwing their cigarettes on the ground. The Foundation maintains about 76 ashcans throughout the city and has recycled 250,000 cigarette butts so far. They’re sent to the recycle company Terracycle that used cigarette butts to create this new bench.