Green Grant of $1,000 Awarded to askHRgreen for Cigarette Litter Prevention
Today’s Green Grant award goes to askHRgreen in the amount of $1,000 for their Cigarette Litter Prevention Program. It’s one of thirty grants being awarded throughout Virginia in June as part of our 12th Annual “Green Grants” Program.
askHRgreen.org is a public awareness program of the 17 cities and counties of Hampton Roads that is administered through the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission. askHRgreen encourages environmental stewardship among all residents in southeastern Virginia.
askHRgreen.org is dedicated to curbing cigarette litter and are actively engaged in educating the public about cigarette litter through their #NoButtsAboutIt campaign. There are two key parts to this campaign. First, large-scale cigarette butt replicas were constructed and are displayed in prominent locations around the region, bringing awareness to the problem of cigarette litter. At two feet tall, the cigarette replicas make a big statement that cigarette litter is not a small problem.
For the second action item to the #NoButtsAboutIt campaign, askHRgreen.org places cigarette waste receptacles into the hands of local businesses to assist them in eliminating cigarette butt litter on the ground and in the landscape. Locating a convenient disposal option for smokers at transition points, such as the entry door from the parking lot of retail businesses, restaurants, grocery stores, gyms, libraries, and more, is a proven way to combat cigarette litter.
Initially launched in spring 2021, the program has provided 48 cigarette receptacles to area businesses thus far, at no charge. This represents a small number of the businesses interested in receiving a cigarette butt receptacle at their location. There are over 100 additional requests pending for receptacles.
The Green Grant funding will help askHRgreen provide an additional twelve receptacles for area businesses, as well as create new outreach materials featuring the #NoButtsAboutIt large-scale cigarette butts.
With cigarette butts being the most often littered item in Virginia, it’s good to see programs like this one that will give smokers options for proper disposal of cigarette butts. Congratulations askHRgreen!