City of Newport News Awarded $1,000 Green Grant

To help educate citizens about the negative effects of cigarette butt litter, the City of Newport News has been awarded a $1,000 grant as part of Keep Virginia Beautiful’s 12th Annual Green Grants Program.

Newport News has an existing city-wide cigarette waste receptacle program called #NoButtsAboutIt that includes education about the hazards of cigarette litter, the need to keep butts out of waterways, and that proper cigarette disposal can create better curb appeal for homeowners and businesses.

Grant funds will be used to purchase cigarette butt receptacles that will be placed in areas where people are most likely to toss a cigarette butt on the ground or in the landscape when entering a building, such as at recreation centers, apartment buildings, subdivision community/club houses, hotels and motels. The receptacles are placed in areas to cater to the residents and visitors of Newport News. Priority will be given to those that may not have resources or the budget for proper cigarette butt disposal materials.

Information about how to recycle butts through a free program offered by TerraCycle is also promoted.  Their Cigarette Waste Recycling Program easy is free and easy for anyone to participate in.

We applaud the City of Newport News for tackling the #1 most littered item in the world – cigarette butts – and wish them great success with their program!