Cigarette Litter Prevention Program
Cigarette butts are the most commonly littered item in America, comprising roughly 30 percent of all littered items found in KAB clean-up activities. The toxic chemicals that leech from their filters and residual tobacco harm the environment and compromise ecosystems.
The filter material, cellulose acetate, is a plastic and, contrary to popular opinion, is not biodegradable. Easily carried by stormwater runoff, cigarette butts quickly get washed into waterways. Responding to this issue, Keep America Beautiful has launched the Cigarette Litter Prevention Program - a systematic approach to reducing the effects of cigarette litter in our communities.
The Cigarette Litter Prevention Program follows a step-by-step method for individuals, communities, organizations, businesses and local governments to follow in reducing cigarette litter. The steps to success include stricter enforcement of anti-litter laws, increased placement of cigarette and ash receptacles at “transition points,” distribution of pocket ashtrays to smokers, and increasing public awareness of the cigarette litter issue.
The program also encourages community organizers to measure cigarette litter in a pilot test area before, during, and after implementation in order to gauge progress. Phi Theta Kappans can get involved by setting up a Cigarette Litter Prevention Program on your campus or in your community.
A complete guide to the program as well as case studies and ideas can be found at www.kab.org/ptk.
