If you had to guess what the most littered item in America is, what would you choose? There are certainly plenty of contenders — fast-food wrappers and containers would certainly be finalists. So would plastic bottles and trash that blows out of open vehicles. But if you guessed cigarette litter, you would win!
Yes, cigarette butts and other related litter, like ashes, old lighters and cigarette packaging, win the contest, hands down. This nasty litter often accounts for close to 20 percent of the litter collected in cleanups around the world in organized efforts, like the International Water Conservancy and Rivers Alive cleanups. Cigarette litter is often taken for granted by smokers, who think that since cigarette butts are small they aren’t harmful. Unfortunately, cigarette litter has a significant impact on our environment and, particularly, the quality of our waterways, where they often end up after being washed from sidewalks and roads through storm drains to creeks and rivers.
We need to expect those who do smoke to follow some basic ground rules for disposing of cigarette litter. Last summer during our first cigarette litter campaign, I searched many sources from Emily Post to the Bible and came across these “ancient records.” OK, seriously, I just made them up. They did not come to me on stone plaques or anything. So, in reality, the following “Ten Commandments” may not be as significant or as “set in stone” as the original “Ten Cs,” but I hope if you are a smoker, you will recognize your important role in wiping out cigarette pollution on our sidewalks and roads.
Ten Commandments
for Cigarette Litter
I. Thou shalt not toss your used cigarette butt on the ground.
II. Thou shalt not flick your cigarette butt out the car window as you drive down the road.
III. Thou shalt not throw your empty cigarette package on the ground.
IV. Thou shalt never use other venues, like toilets and sinks, to dispose of your cigarette butts either.
V. Thou shalt not empty your car ashtray on the ground either while you are waiting at the stoplight.
VI. Thou shalt never, never toss your cigarette litter in a storm drain or a creek, lake, river or ocean.
VII. Thou shalt dispose of your cigarette litter in a cigarette litter receptacle and not in parking lots, on sidewalks or in business doorways.
VIII. Thou shalt make sure, if you are a business owner or manager, that there are adequate cigarette receptacles in designated smoking areas and transition points around your business, like doors and parking lots.
IX. Thou shalt make sure that if you are a local city or county government official, you incorporate cigarette litter in your local litter ordinance and that you have adequate cigarette litter receptacles in public locations, like parks.
X. Thou shalt always carry a pocket ashtray with you to use when you are on the run. These are available free by contacting Keep Liberty Beautiful at 368-4888 or e-mailing klcb@coastalnow.net.
Cigarette litter is something we can all live without so, smokers, please obey the Ten Commandments!
KLCB announcements that you can use to help save the environment:
Congratulations to the winners of this quarter’s Win-dex Awards! The most Attractive Businesses of the Quarter are Osteen and Osteen and Century Tel. Great job!
• Tell the world how you really feel about litter. Get your free litter car decal by calling 368-4888 or e-mailing klcb@coastalnow.net.
• Keep your “butts” off the streets and sidewalks! Cigarette litter needs to be disposed of properly. For a free cigarette litter pocket ashtray, call 368-4888.
For more information on Keep Liberty County Beautiful programs, contact Swida at 368-4888 or klcb@coastalnow.net.
Yes, cigarette butts and other related litter, like ashes, old lighters and cigarette packaging, win the contest, hands down. This nasty litter often accounts for close to 20 percent of the litter collected in cleanups around the world in organized efforts, like the International Water Conservancy and Rivers Alive cleanups. Cigarette litter is often taken for granted by smokers, who think that since cigarette butts are small they aren’t harmful. Unfortunately, cigarette litter has a significant impact on our environment and, particularly, the quality of our waterways, where they often end up after being washed from sidewalks and roads through storm drains to creeks and rivers.
We need to expect those who do smoke to follow some basic ground rules for disposing of cigarette litter. Last summer during our first cigarette litter campaign, I searched many sources from Emily Post to the Bible and came across these “ancient records.” OK, seriously, I just made them up. They did not come to me on stone plaques or anything. So, in reality, the following “Ten Commandments” may not be as significant or as “set in stone” as the original “Ten Cs,” but I hope if you are a smoker, you will recognize your important role in wiping out cigarette pollution on our sidewalks and roads.
Ten Commandments
for Cigarette Litter
I. Thou shalt not toss your used cigarette butt on the ground.
II. Thou shalt not flick your cigarette butt out the car window as you drive down the road.
III. Thou shalt not throw your empty cigarette package on the ground.
IV. Thou shalt never use other venues, like toilets and sinks, to dispose of your cigarette butts either.
V. Thou shalt not empty your car ashtray on the ground either while you are waiting at the stoplight.
VI. Thou shalt never, never toss your cigarette litter in a storm drain or a creek, lake, river or ocean.
VII. Thou shalt dispose of your cigarette litter in a cigarette litter receptacle and not in parking lots, on sidewalks or in business doorways.
VIII. Thou shalt make sure, if you are a business owner or manager, that there are adequate cigarette receptacles in designated smoking areas and transition points around your business, like doors and parking lots.
IX. Thou shalt make sure that if you are a local city or county government official, you incorporate cigarette litter in your local litter ordinance and that you have adequate cigarette litter receptacles in public locations, like parks.
X. Thou shalt always carry a pocket ashtray with you to use when you are on the run. These are available free by contacting Keep Liberty Beautiful at 368-4888 or e-mailing klcb@coastalnow.net.
Cigarette litter is something we can all live without so, smokers, please obey the Ten Commandments!
KLCB announcements that you can use to help save the environment:
Congratulations to the winners of this quarter’s Win-dex Awards! The most Attractive Businesses of the Quarter are Osteen and Osteen and Century Tel. Great job!
• Tell the world how you really feel about litter. Get your free litter car decal by calling 368-4888 or e-mailing klcb@coastalnow.net.
• Keep your “butts” off the streets and sidewalks! Cigarette litter needs to be disposed of properly. For a free cigarette litter pocket ashtray, call 368-4888.
For more information on Keep Liberty County Beautiful programs, contact Swida at 368-4888 or klcb@coastalnow.net.