Dr. Karen Bell
Keep Liberty Beautiful
Keep Liberty Beautiful had great success in sharing information about litter prevention and picking up cigarette butts with a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theme for the Christmas Parade.
We were thrilled to have a special guest, Bryce, my grandson, who I enjoy, to get him involved with community service.
One of the little things but the biggest litter problem is cigarette butt litter that is happening around the world. Cigarette butts are the most challenging element communities must deal with to maintain an outside clear of unwanted litter. In the past decade, cigarette smoking in America has decreased by 28%, yet cigarette butts remain the most littered item. We must get the message out there that dropping cigarette butts and cigar tips to the ground, putting them in planters, and disposing of them in waterways is littering!
The overall littering rate for cigarette butts is 65%.
Unfortunately, tobacco products comprise 38% of all U.S. roadway litter.
Much of this litter ends up in our waterways. The Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup showed cigarette butts as the most littered item, representing 32% of all items collected.
Cigarette butts are carried off by rain into storm drains and eventually to streams and rivers, creating a significant impact on the places we live. About 95% of cigarette filters are composed of cellulose acetate, a form of plastic that does not quickly degrade and can persist in the environment for decades. Filters are harmful to waterways and wildlife. Nearly 80% of marine debris comes from land-based sources. Cigarette butt litter can also harm animals and marine life when they mistake filters for food. This pressing issue requires immediate attention and action from all of us.
Cigarette butts also contribute to blight by accumulating in gutters, sidewalks, parking lots, outside doorways, and bus shelters. This increasing amount of litter in business districts, riverfronts, or recreation areas can create a sense that no one cares.
Research about litter and vandalism, including the Broken Windows Theory, suggests that small signs of neglect, such as litter, can lead to larger issues. Therefore, it’s crucial for neighborhoods and business districts to be clean and well-maintained. Smart communities understand that addressing small problems promptly can prevent them from escalating into more significant issues for the community.
We believe most smokers flick their litter because they are unaware of the environmental impact.
That’s why it’s crucial for communities to have enough ash receptacles placed, and Keep Liberty Beautiful offers them for free. We want to empower all smokers to be “environmentally responsible smokers.” Don’t flick it!
Make an effort to dispose of cigarette litter and all litter responsibly in a garbage can or ash receptacle, and not on the ground.
Remember, it’s our collective responsibility to keep our community clean and beautiful.
As a community, we have until the end of December 2024 to Participate in Rivers Alive 2024 to help fight against litter.
Just contact Keep Liberty Beautiful to arrange for your group, business, family, or individual for your cleanup supplies. Rivers Alive is a statewide effort to preserve and protect our waterways in Georgia. Rivers Alive is sponsored by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Environmental Protection Division’s Environmental Outreach Program. Rivers Alive events are also part of the international efforts of The Ocean Conservancy. Keep Liberty Beautiful will provide all the equipment needed and free T-shirts to all volunteers.
Keep Liberty Beautiful will host our annual Bring One for the Chipper from December 26, 2024, to January 4, 2025. BOFTC is a Christmas tree recycling event sponsored annually by the Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation and other supporters.
First created in 1991, this statewide event encourages environmental stewardship by providing local drop-off points for community members to recycle their live trees.
Trees are then chipped into mulch for landscaping projects or fish habitats.
For over 30 years, Bring One for the Chipper has helped Georgians TREEcycle Christmas trees to mulch.
If you want to learn more about fighting cigarette litter, Bring One For The Chipper, or participate in Rivers Alive 2024, don’t hesitate to contact Keep Liberty Beautiful at (912) 880-4888. You can also visit our website at www. keeplibertybeautiful.org.