Cigarette Litter Prevention

1. Cigarette Litter Prevention

2. About Cigarette Litter • Dropping partially-smoked cigarettes, cigarette • butts, matches, lighters, and packaging to the • ground is littering. • According to the annual International Coastal • Cleanup statistics,cigarette butts were the most • littered item—representing over 34% of the items • collected. • Individuals who would never litter beverage cans • or paper packaging typically do not consider • tossing cigarette butts littering.

3. Cigarette Litter and the Environment • About 95% of cigarette filters are • composed of cellulose acetate, a form of • plastic which does not biodegrade quickly • and can persist in the environment. • About 18% of litter, traveling primarily • through storm water systems, ends up in • local streams, rivers, and waterways.

4. Cigarette Littering Behavior • Only 10% of cigarette butts are deposited in litter • receptacles—the least likely item to be placed in a • receptacle. • Most cigarette littering occurs in and around • “transition points.” These are areas where a smoker • must extinguish a cigarette before entering. • Many smokers who do not properly dispose of their • butts, lighting material, and packaging do not consider • their behavior littering. • Some smokers believe they are acting responsibly by • dropping cigarettes on the ground and stepping on them to extinguish them. • Some smokers think dropping butts into gutters or storm drains is a safe way • to extinguish a cigarette. This picture shows a community “transition point”, a place where a smoker must stop smoking before proceeding.

5. The Keep America Beautiful Cigarette Litter Prevention Program • Program Goal: • To effectively and noticeably reduce cigarette litter. • Program Strategies: • Enforce anti-litter laws. • Install ash receptacles at transition points. • Encourage the use of pocket ashtrays. • Build public awareness of the problem and the • solutions with public service ads, referred to as PSA’s.

6. Program Field-Testing • Two years of field-testing by Keep America Beautiful affiliates in over a dozen U.S. cities showed cigarette litter can be reduced as much as 46% by implementing a multi-dimensional approach to cigarette litter: • Cigarette Litter Scansto measure current conditions and program impact. • Public Service Messagesin local media. • Strategic placement ofAsh Receptaclesat neighborhood transition points. • Distribution of FREEPocket Ashtrays.

7. Program Components Ash Receptacles Pocket Ashtray Public Service Ads

8. Prevention CampaignTimeline for Local Program in Pilot Neighborhood • First Three Months Assess local cigarette litter problem • Review local litter laws • Choose pilot neighborhood and conduct survey • Identify pilot neighborhood transition points Establish a Cigarette Litter Prevention Team • Set the program budget • Identify sources of funding and in-kind contributions Implement Prevention Strategies • Choose and order ash receptacles • Order pocket ashtrays • Customize media materials for local market

9. Prevention CampaignTimeline for Local Program in Pilot Neighborhood • Next Three Months Launch the Prevention Campaign • Install ash receptacles • Distribute pocket ashtrays • Place public service messages • Start media outreach Evaluate Results • Conduct follow-up survey • Assess program impact • Plan for sustainability • Beyond Month Six Strategize community-wide roll out of prevention campaign Establish roll-out timeline and team member responsibilities Expand Cigarette Litter Prevention Team as needed

10. About Keep America Beautiful • Established in 1953 – the nation’s largest volunteer-based community improvement organization. • Mission: • To engage individuals to take greater responsibility for • improving their community environments. • Guiding Principles: • Education • Individual Responsibility • Public-Private Partnerships • Volunteer Action • National Community Improvement Focus Areas: • Litter Prevention • Waste Reduction • Beautification

11. Keep America Beautiful, Inc.… engaging individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their community environments.