The 2011 Ocean Conservancy International Coastal Cleanup again identified cigarette butts as the number one most littered item, representing 32% of all debris counted.And Keep America Beautiful's 2009 "Litter in America" research found the overall littering rate for cigarette butts is 65%, with tobacco products comprising 38% of all U.S. roadway litter. Download the fact sheet.While seemingly insignificant, dropping cigarette butts to the ground, putting them in planters, and disposing of them in waterways is littering. And there are consequences. Cigarette butt litter is unsightly, costly to clean up, and harmful to waterways and wildlife.In 2011, cities and towns that implemented Keep America Beautiful'sCigarette Litter Prevention Program had an average reduction in cigarette butt litter of 54%. For similar results in your community, use theCigarette Litter Prevention Program to implement four proven strategies to reduce cigarette butt litter:
- Support enforcement of local litter laws, including cigarette litter.
- Change littering behavior through public education/messaging
- Install ash receptacles at "transition points," places where smokers must stop smoking before proceeding.
- Distribute pocket ashtrays to adult smokers
We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here
