This study presents a novel and eco-friendly approach to mitigate the environmental impact of cigarette butt filters by repurposing their ash in concrete mix design. The ash derived from cigarette butt filters was incorporated into microsilica concrete at ten different replacement ratios, and the mechanical properties were evaluated in comparison to a control concrete mix devoid of ash. The findings indicate that a 3% ash substitution enhances the compressive strength by 1.4%, the Brazilian tensile strength by 16.9%, and the flexural strength by 43.6% relative to the ash-free concrete. Additionally, this optimal replacement significantly improves energy absorption, allowing for 92% greater energy retention before failure during three-point bending tests on concrete beams. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses were conducted to provide further insights into the material properties and interactions.
