A method for the separation of reject material used in cigarette manufacture, in which a reject mass flow comprising reject cigarettes, loose tobacco material and loose wrapping paper pieces is transferred into two separate output mass flows (16, 18), in which loose tobacco material, on the one hand, and loose wrapping paper pieces and, if applicable, filters, on the other hand, are discharged separately from one another, comprising the following method steps: - dividing the reject mass flow in a dividing device into a first partial mass flow with reject cigarettes and a second partial mass flow with loose tobacco material and loose wrapping paper pieces, - conveying the first partial mass flow to a splitting device, in which the reject cigarettes are aligned, the wrapping papers of the reject cigarettes are opened and tobacco material contained in the reject cigarettes is removed from the opened wrapping papers, such that the first partial mass flow following splitting is composed of loose tobacco material and loose wrapping paper pieces and, if applicable, filters, - conveying the first partial mass flow and the second partial mass flow into a separating device, in which an output mass flow of loose tobacco material and an output mass flow of loose wrapping paper pieces and, if applicable, filters are formed, characterized in that the dividing of the cigarette reject mass flow into a first partial mass flow with reject cigarettes and a second partial mass flow with loose tobacco material and loose wrapping paper pieces is effected in a gravity chute, wherein the reject mass flow falls through the gravity chute and is acted upon from one side with a transverse separation air current which is directed transversely to the falling direction, which captures loose tobacco material and loose wrapping paper pieces and conveys them into a bypass line while reject cigarettes continue falling in the gravity chute. - dividing the reject mass flow in a dividing device into a first partial mass flow with reject cigarettes and a second partial mass flow with loose tobacco material and loose wrapping paper pieces, - conveying the first partial mass flow to a splitting device, in which the reject cigarettes are aligned, the wrapping papers of the reject cigarettes are opened and tobacco material contained in the reject cigarettes is removed from the opened wrapping papers, such that the first partial mass flow following splitting is composed of loose tobacco material and loose wrapping paper pieces and, if applicable, filters, - conveying the first partial mass flow and the second partial mass flow into a separating device, in which an output mass flow of loose tobacco material and an output mass flow of loose wrapping paper pieces and, if applicable, filters are formed, characterized in that the dividing of the cigarette reject mass flow into a first partial mass flow with reject cigarettes and a second partial mass flow with loose tobacco material and loose wrapping paper pieces is effected in a gravity chute, wherein the reject mass flow falls through the gravity chute and is acted upon from one side with a transverse separation air current which is directed transversely to the falling direction, which captures loose tobacco material and loose wrapping paper pieces and conveys them into a bypass line while reject cigarettes continue falling in the gravity chute.