Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is partnering with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to implement the Cigarette Litter Prevention Program (CLPP) at 14 state welcome centers in 2022-2023.
The program hopes to raise awareness to travelers about the issue of proper cigarette butt disposal using messaging and marketing campaigns and placing ash receptacles at entrances to rest stop buildings. The effectiveness of the program will be measured by comparing a pre and post program scan or physical count of cigarette butts and other tobacco products.
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful has a partnership with Terracylce to expand the program to include recycling and composting of the cigarette butt waste.
According to Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s 2019 Pennsylvania Litter Research Study, over 500 million pieces of litter were found on Pennsylvania’s roadways. Of the total estimated litter, 186.2 million or 37.1 percent were cigarette butts.
Cigarette butts that are thrown on the ground can contaminate soil and ground water with chemicals and heavy metals; fatally impact birds, animals and marine life who often mistake them for food; and the filters, made of cellulose acetate, never fully disappear from the environment.
To find out more, visit keeppabeautiful.org.
Join our readers whose generous donations are making it possible for you to read our news coverage. Help keep local journalism alive and our community strong. Donate today.
