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Home > News > Keep Blackstone Valley Beautiful Receives Cigarette Litter Prevention Grant

Keep Blackstone Valley Beautiful Receives Cigarette Litter Prevention Grant

Keep Blackstone Valley Beautiful

RI Affiliate of Keep America Beautiful

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 10, 2018
Donna Kaehler
KBVB Coordinator
401-724-2200

 

Sidewalk Buttler Cigarette Container 

Aaron, resident of Pawtucket, shows how

to properly dispose cigarette butts.

        
                                                                                                                                     

 

 

Keep Blackstone Valley Beautiful Receives
Cigarette Litter Prevention Grant

From Keep America Beautiful

 

Pawtucket, RI  Keep Blackstone Valley Beautiful (KBVB) is pleased to announce our affiliate was chosen a 2018 Cigarette Litter Prevention Program (CLPP) recipient, by Keep America Beautiful, in the amount of $10,000. 

The CLPP grant is designed to help communities combat cigarette litter, the number one littered item in the United States.  “Our goal is to educate smokers that cigarette butts are litter that’s toxic and dangerous to our health and environment, and to offer proper disposal options for butts.  Once smokers become aware, we believe they will do the right thing and stop littering their cigarette butts,” explains Donna Kaehler, KBVB’s Coordinator. KBVB identified fifty needy Blackstone Valley locations, thirty being placed in RIPTA bus shelters, where smokers often congregate and larger volumes of cigarette litter was counted and identified. Sidewalk Buttler style cigarette collection containers were purchased and installed at bus stops in Central Falls, Cumberland, Lincoln, North Smithfield, Smithfield, Pawtucket and Woonsocket. The additional 20 containers have been installed in municipal locations at transition points such as entrances to public buildings and outside parks.

Installing the containers is the first step in solving this litter problem, the next is the containers need to be emptied. KBVB is pleased many community groups eagerly stepped up to help with this task, showing they will take action to make Blackstone Valley litter-free. Partners for this project included Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA), Street Smart Outdoor Corporation, the Cities of Central Falls, Pawtucket and Woonsocket, the Towns of Cumberland, North Smithfield and Smithfield, Anchor Recovery Community Center– Pawtucket, Community College of RI - Lincoln, Property Advisory Group – Woonsocket, Stop and Shop – North Smithfield, Sunoco Gas Station – North Smithfield, Twin River Casino – Lincoln, Vose True Value Hardware - Woonsocket and Wakeman & Cushman – Lincoln. 

“Never Drop Your Butts – Find a Bin” is message KBVB is advertising throughout the Blackstone Valley.  Ads will be placed in chosen local bus shelters and throughout our communities. Keep Blackstone Valley Beautiful is able to offer additional businesses their own Sidewalk Buttler collection container at no charge.  Supplies are limited, but all businesses that share their need and agree to install and empty the containers, will be considered.  Requests must be made before the end of September. For those smokers who walk, bike or drive a car, KBVB has limited amounts of free pocket and car ashtrays. Over 600 pocket and car ashtrays have been handed out at various functions so far. These metal lined ashtrays offer a safe way hold cigarette butts.  Smokers are able to pick up a free ashtray at the Blackstone Valley Visitor Center, 175 Main Street, Pawtucket during normal hours. One ashtray per person is offered, while supplies allow.

“KBVB is very lucky to have the support of Keep America Beautiful and our community partners.  We have a variety of methods to collect butts, now we want our smokers join to in.  We care if Blackstone Valley is littered; we hope our smokers do to.”

For more information, contact Donna Kaehler keep.bv.beautiful@gmail.com or at 401-724-2200.

 

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