Keep America Beautiful to Award Up to $375K in Grants to Combat Cigarette Litter

Keep America Beautiful® announced it is accepting grant applications for its 2024Cigarette 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.

“Through our CLPP Grants, we aim to change that narrative by providing communities and organizations across the country with the funds, resources, and infrastructure necessary to collect and recycle cigarette waste with ease.”

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.

← Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful Receives State Recycling Award for Cigarette Litter Prevention Project with Dollywood

About Keep America Beautiful®:

Keep America Beautiful®, the nation’s leading community improvement nonprofit organization, inspires and educates people to take action every day to improve and beautify their community environment. Established in 1953, Keep America Beautiful® strives to End Littering, Improve Recycling, and Beautify America’s Communities. We believe everyone has a right to live in a clean, green, and beautiful community, and shares a responsibility to contribute to that vision. The organization is driven by the work and passion of 700 Keep America Beautiful® affiliates, millions of volunteers, and the collaborative support of corporate partners, social and civic service organizations, academia, municipalities, elected officials, and individuals. Join us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin, and YouTube. Donate and take action at kab.org.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

McCall Vrydaghs

Keep America Beautiful®