CIGARETTE LITTER PREVENTION AND RECYCLING PROGRAM
The Cigarette Litter Prevention and Recycling Program (CLPR), created by Keep America Beautiful® in 2002, is the nation’s largest program aimed at eliminating cigarette litter.
ABOUT THE CLPR PROGRAM
In the 2020 Keep America Beautiful National Litter Study, 9 out of 10 littered items counted were 4″ and less, with cigarette butts being the number one littered item in this category, accounting for 9.7 billion butts counted on any given day in the United States.
The Cigarette Litter Prevention and Recycling Program is the nation’s largest program aimed at reducing cigarette litter. Communities implementing the program reduce cigarette litter by half based on local measurements taken in the first four to six months after the program is implemented. Since its inception, the program has been implemented in more than 1,800 U.S. communities.
FACT: Cigarette butts account for 88% of litter 4″ or smaller
TERRACYCLE PARTNERSHIP
Cigarette filters don’t break down naturally and will persist in our environment when littered. Removing this litter from our communities through organized cleanups is just the beginning of keeping cigarette butts out of our parks and waterways. After hosting a cleanup, collecting them at home, or with a cigarette receptacle, separate cigarettes from other trash and send them to TerraCycle to be recycled using a FREE shipping label available HERE. As an added bonus, $1.00 is donated to the Cigarette Litter Prevention and Recycling Program for every pound of cigarette waste collected.
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Affiliate Network
Individual Action Center
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HOW DOES CLPR WORK?
An effective local Cigarette Litter Prevention and Recycling Program includes four proven, field-tested solutions or strategies for reducing cigarette butt litter.
- Review local litter laws, including cigarette butt litter, and support enforcement
- Raise awareness about the issue of proper cigarette butt disposal using messaging and marketing campaigns
- Place ash receptacles at transition points to non-smoking areas like beaches, hospitals, or public parks; and
- Distribute pocket or portable ashtrays to adult smokers
Each year Keep America Beautiful awards grants to our affiliates and other nonprofit organizations doing the on-the-ground work of cleaning up cigarette butt litter in their communities.
Inside the effort to reduce cigarette litter
Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful Receives State Recycling Award for Cigarette Litter Prevention Project with Dollywood
Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful wins ‘2023 Nonprofit Recycler of the Year’ for their Dollywood partnership, recycling 350,000 cigarette butts since 2021.
YEAR IN REVIEW: 2022 BRINGS NEW LEADER, PRE-PANDEMIC RESULTS, AND TRI-SECTOR EVENT AT ROCKEFELLER CENTER FOR KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL®
STAMFORD, Conn. (December 20, 2022) – As the year ends, Keep America Beautiful® reflects on the major milestones and achievements that helped in the mission to clean, green, and beautify America in 2022. Founded in 1953, Keep America Beautiful is the nation’s leading...
COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY UNITE TO STOMP-OUT AND RECYCLE CIGARETTE LITTER IN HONOR OF AMERICA RECYCLES DAY
TerraCycle and Local Keep America Beautiful Chapters Team-Up to Beautify Spaces & Recycle the World’s Most Littered Item while Earning Donations for Nonprofits TRENTON, NJ (November 15, 2022) – In recognition of America Recycles Day, TerraCycle, the world’s leader...
Everyone can make a difference in their community.
It starts with you, and with us.
Picking up litter, including cigarette butts, is an active step we can all take to clean, green, and beautify our lives. Let’s take the step together!
Join the movement!
