Dr. Karen Bell

Keep Liberty Beautiful

In July, Keep Liberty Beautiful partnered with Keep Savannah Beautiful, Keep McIntosh Beautiful, Keep Camden Beautiful, Keep Pembroke Beautiful, Tybee Clean Beach Volunteers, the City of Tybee Island, the University of Georgia Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, and Keep Golden Isles Beautiful.

 These Georgia coastal counties and organizations work together in the continued promotion of cigarette litter prevention through a campaign called Georgia’s Coast Is Not an Ashtray! We are excited to reach our community with educational information to discourage the littering of cigarette butts. Cigarette butts are made of cellulose acetate, a plastic that does not quickly biodegrade, and they are the nation’s No. 1 littered item.

Discarded butts have a negative impact as land litter, but once they’re blown into storm drains or tossed directly into water sources, this toxic litter becomes marine debris, leaching chemicals into marine and aquatic environments and potentially being ingested by those inhabitants. With coastal Georgia’s proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and its abundance of streams, rivers, lakes, creeks, salt and freshwater marshes and ponds, this coast-wide initiative focuses on cigarette butts in relation to bodies of water. Funded by a $20,000 Keep America Beautiful cigarette litter prevention program grant, the latest effort consists of the placement of cigarette waste receptacles, radio public service announcements, social media/video promotion, educational outreach, drink coaster outreach, and pocket/car ashtray distribution.

With the leadership of Lea King-Badyna of Keep Golden Isles Beautiful, the combined five-year effort has resulted in more than 500 public space receptacles being placed in coastal Georgia. While simultaneous project- specific outreach activities will occur in all specific outreach activities are also encouraged.

“KLB is so excited this year to offer more resources to Liberty County and have the opportunity to work with the other partners in this campaign,” said Keep Liberty Beautiful Executive Director Dr. Karen Bell. “I believe we will make a difference in our communities and waterways!”

Aug. 19 is Keep Liberty Beautiful’s primary day for using Georgia’s Coast Is Not an Ashtray coasters at local hotels, restaurants, coffee shops and pubs. (If your business would like to participate, please complete the form at https://bit.ly/ CLPP_2022 to sign up.) When you visit one of the restaurants that features our coasters, take a photo with the coaster and post it on our Facebook page to be entered in our KLB giveaway!

We also offer free stand-alone or wall cigarette receptacles to Liberty County businesses such as restaurants, bars, hotels and stores. By receiving a cigarette receptacle, your business or organization will be a part of our #LibertyCountyProud and Beautiful Program. You can use the form at https://bit.ly/CLPP_2022 to request them.

Part of Keep Liberty Beautiful’s mission is to inform our community to take green steps every day toward a cleaner, greener and more beautiful place to live. You can participate in this mission by participating in Georgia’s Coast Is Not an Ashtray campaign. For information, visit our Keep Liberty Beautiful Facebook page or contact us at (912) 880-4888 or klcb@libertycountyga.com.