Keep America Beautiful® announced it is accepting grant applications for its 2024 Cigarette Litter Prevention Program (CLPP) grants, which aims to reduce to cigarette waste in public spaces and waterways through collection and recycling.
According to the Keep America Beautiful 2020 National Litter Study, cigarettes butts are the nation’s single most littered item in the United States and comprise 20% of the litter found on the ground and in waterways. Additionally, this research shows that smokers are significantly less likely to litter when convenient ash receptacles are available nearby.
“The number of cigarette butts found on our streets and within our waterways is alarming,” said Jennifer Lawson, President and CEO of Keep America Beautiful.
Since its inception in 2003, CLPP has been implemented in more than 1,800 communities across the country, achieving, on average, a 50% reduction in cigarette waste. Nearly 1,000 CLPP receptacles were distributed in 2023 resulting in an estimated 63% reduction in cigarette litter in areas where they were installed. The program is sponsored by Altria, the Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, and Reynolds American.
CLPP grants also support efforts to raise awareness about the recyclability of cigarette butts. Since 2014, Keep America Beautiful has partnered with TerraCycle® to facilitate the recycling of more than 261,000 pounds (the weight of an adult blue whale) of cigarette butts into sustainable products such as park benches and ashtrays.
Grants of up to $20,000 will be made to nonprofits, local governments, and community groups, and Keep America Beautiful local affiliates to support implementation of the CLPP’s four-step process. The application deadline is February 15, 2024, at 5pm ET.
Information about CLPP grants and other Keep America Beautiful community grants are available here.