Nothing “butt” litter
Through our partnership with Keep America Beautiful, South Carolinians have an opportunity to participate in the nation’s largest program aimed at reducing cigarette litter. Community members can start making a change by installing free receptacles at their business, home or local park to help fight the most commonly littered item in America – the cigarette butt.
Why participate?
- For every additional litter stand, the littering rate for cigarette butts decreases 9%.
- The majority of smokers said they would properly dispose of their butts if suitable receptacles were available.
- Litter stands and hardware are offered for free and included with the butt bins.
- Cigarette butts are the most commonly littered item in America.
- Cigarette butts take five years to decompose.
- Cigarette butts can be recycled for free with TerraCycle.
- TerraCycle turns recycled cigarette butts into compost and plastic products like benches, pallets and ash trays.
How to get started
Share the GPS coordinates of each litter stand’s location with KSCB by filling out the form below to include on the interactive map. GPS coordinates can be identified in several ways:
- Enter the litter stand location/address into https://www.latlong.net/ and record coordinates.
- Using Google Maps, right-click the place on the map. Select “What’s Here?”. At the bottom of the map, a card with coordinates will appear.
Requirements
- Install the litter stand(s) in an accessible place (e.g., outside entrance to retail location, or transition point where adult smokers commonly dispose of cigarette butts). Hardware is included to mount each receptacle.
- Maintain litter stands(s) (regularly empty cigarette butts from bin).
- Conduct cigarette waste audits every three months for one year. This includes counting cigarette waste on the ground where the bin has been installed. Numbers should be submitted to PalmettoPride Special Projects Manager Joseph Berry at jberry@palmettopride.org.
- Email jberry@palmettopride.org to request prepaid postage to mail your waste in a shoebox or larger sized package. Print and attach the label to the securely closed package and take to the nearest mailing location.