Cigarette Litter Prevention Programs by Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful have reduced cigarette litter by 57 percent at 25 locations in downtown Erie, five locations at Erie State Parks, and 20 locations covering the entire coastal zone from the New York border to the Ohio border.

The program was funded by Keep America Beautiful, Altria, and the Department of Environmental Protection’s Coastal Zone Resource Management Program. 

Also targeted were the City of Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Brookline, Oakland/Forbes Avenue, Squirrel Hill/Forbes Avenue, and South Side/East Carson Street.

A follow up scan of the program areas reported a 49 percent overall reduction of cigarette butts.

The program, initially launched in 2011, includes public education messaging that a cigarette butt not properly disposed is litter; the distribution of free pocket ashtrays to adult smokers; and the installation of ash receptacles in the program area.

 “We are grateful for the opportunity to bring these valuable anti-litter resources to Pennsylvania. With support from Altria, the Department of Natural Resources Coastal Resources Management Program, and Keep America Beautiful, we demonstrated that with the appropriate tools and resources, we really can change people’s behavior when it comes to cigarette litter,” explained Shannon Reiter, President of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. 

"Changing ingrained behaviors, such as littering, requires a long-term and sustained commitment,” says Becky Lyons, Chief Operating Officer of Keep America Beautiful. “We’re clearly seeing evidence that the longer a community focuses on anti-litter education programs, the more successful their efforts will be.”

The "Guide to Cigarette Litter Prevention" provides information about starting and maintaining a Cigarette Litter Prevention Program in your community and can be found online. 

11/4/2013