Living Green

Report: Cigarette litter down 54 percent in 2007

Stamford, CT—Keep America Beautiful (KAB) Inc. reports this year that there has been an average nationwide reduction of cigarette litter of 54 percent—a six percent improvement from 2006—in the communities implementing the KAB Cigarette Litter Prevention Program (CLPP).

Some communities reported as much as a 65 percent reduction in cigarette litter in their hometown. The nation's largest program to combat cigarette-related litter seeks to educate adult smokers about the issue while offering access to pocket ashtrays and ash receptacles as a way to combat one of the most overlooked environmental problems.

"Cigarette butts are the most littered item across the U.S., despite most peoples' perceptions," said G. Raymond Empson, President of KAB. "A lack of awareness, lack of ash receptacles, and ordinances that move smokers outdoors all increase cigarette littering and make it a real challenge to keep our nation clean and beautiful. We're doing something about that."

The program, in its fifth year, has been implemented in more than 150 locations throughout the U.S. It sends hundreds of volunteers into the streets to collect and count cigarette butts. They then document improvements after the program has been implemented.

The 2007 campaign occurred over a seven-month period beginning in May and ending in November. Each local affiliate reported results to the national organization after two to three cigarette litter "scans" that provided progress metrics for each community.