A process for recycling cigarette butts and the like to enable reuse of a butt (1) comprising a filter (1a) adapted to partly retain the harmful substances produced by said cigarette, residual tobacco (1c) and an envelope (1 b) adapted to partly surround said filter (1a) and said tobacco (1c), characterised in that it consists in: a step (10) of removing at least said residual tobacco (1 c) from said butt (1) and a step (30) of washing said butt (1), at least partly removing the harmful substances from said butt (1) deprived of said residual tobacco (1 c)