Dr. Karen Bell
Keep Liberty Beautiful
Keep Liberty Beautiful would like to thank the many restaurants, hotels, coffee shops, and bars participating in the Cigarette Litter Prevention coaster giveaway campaign, “GEORGIA’S COAST IS NOT AN ASHTRAY,” which started last Friday, August 28, and continues throughout the year!
KLB will also give away 20 campaign T-shirts and swag gags. Details on how to receive a T-shirt or swag bag are located on the KLB Facebook page. But between you and me, take a photo when you spot the coasters and post it on our “GEORGIA’S COAST IS NOT AN ASHTRAY” Post to be entered to receive a Keep Liberty Beautiful Swag Bag.
Enter as many times as you like, but the photos must be taken on different dates or locations.
Please look for the messaged drink coasters throughout Liberty County and the nearby coastal communities. Cigarettes are made of cellulose acetate, a type of plastic. Cigarette butts do not biodegrade and are the nation’s number one most littered item. Blown or tossed into storm drains and waterways, they become toxic litter that can harm sensitive ecosystems and their inhabitants.
We hope this Cigarette Litter Prevention Event helped spread the message about cigarette litter prevention. We appreciate all the support from Liberty County restaurants, cafes, hotels, coffee shops, and bars that used the message drink coasters. We could not have done it without them. Thank you!
We know that having everyone stop smoking is not feasible, so here are some steps I found online that we can take to help prevent cigarette butt litter:
- Increasing the availability of ash receptacles and portable ashtrays
- Decreasing the amount of existing litter through clean-up activities • Educating the public with motivational messages that target individual responsibility and obligation
- Reviewing local litter laws, including cigarette butt litter, and supporting enforcement
- Raising awareness about the issue of proper cigarette butt disposal using messaging and marketing campaigns
- Placing ash receptacles at transition points to non-smoking areas like hospitals or public parks
- Distributing pocket or portable ashtrays to adult smokers who enjoy the areas surrounding and within waterways Using these strategies to prevent cigarette butt litter would help keep Liberty County and surrounding areas clean, green, and cigarette buttfree.
September is busy for Keep Liberty Beautiful. Join us at the Farmers Market on September 3, from 3-7 p.m. at Bradwell Park, S. Commerce Street, Hinesville, for Native Plants Awareness. KLB will share information on native plants on our Facebook and Instagram pages.
The next event in September is Your State Parks Day, on Saturday, September 26 (9 a.m.-12 noon). Come help spruce up the Fort Morris Historic Site. It is located at 2559 Fort Morris Road, Midway.
I am excited to announce that Keep Liberty Beautiful will host a Tire Amnesty Day on October 24, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Liberty County Community Complex, 9397 East Oglethorpe Hwy, Midway. Join us to dispose of tires responsibly and help keep our community clean.
Rivers Alive for Liberty County is on October 24, which is Make A Difference Day! Look for dates in your city soon. KLB will post the dates on our Facebook page and website, www.keeplibertybeautiful. org. Our next Recycle It! Fairs are on November 14, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at two locations: Liberty County Community Complex, 9397 E. Oglethorpe Hwy, Midway, and Walthourville City Hall, 222 Busbee Road, Walthourville. The Shred Truck will be at the Midway location.
To learn more about our upcoming events or ways you can be involved with Keep Liberty Beautiful, visit our website at www.keeplibertybeautiful. org. You can also contact KLB at (912) 880-4888 or email us at klcb@libertycountyga. gov.