Page County Solid Waste Awarded $1,000 Green Grant
Page County Solid Waste is awarded a $1,000 Green Grant for their Cigarette Litter Prevention Program, as part of our 13th Annual Green Grants Program.
Every year, government, non-profit, civic, and service organizations in Virginia are invited to apply for grants ranging from $500 to $1,000 that will help address an environmental concern in their community. Grants must focus on one of the following priorities: Litter Prevention, Recycling, Cigarette Litter Prevention, or Community Beautification.
Page County is a small, rural county bordering the Shenandoah National Park with a population of 23,000 people. The Solid Waste department runs two landfills and two citizen drop-off areas. They accept trash and recycling from three towns, county citizens, and surrounding counties.
Concerned about the amount of cigarette butts littered, they will launch a “No Butts About It” campaign in an effort to raise awareness and reduce cigarette butt litter. With funds provided by the Green Grant award, the Solid Waste department of Page County will purchase cigarette butt receptacles to encourage proper disposal of cigarette litter.
With funds received from the Green Grant award, stationary receptacles will be purchased and placed at the county’s convenience sites, and mounted receptacles will be installed at community buildings. They will also distribute auto ash trays at different events throughout the year, such as Earth Day, Ruritan talks, and a Hazardous Waste event. As part of the Cigarette Litter Prevention Program (CLPP), they will count cigarette butts collected in the targeted areas before the installation of the receptacles, and compare that to the number of butts found littered after the receptacles are in place. ArcMate trash grabbers will also be purchased for the safety and convenience of those picking up the littered cigarette butts. The data that is collected will be compared and analyzed to determine any patterns of littering behaviors.
Thank you Page County Solid Waste Department for addressing the problem of cigarette butt litter — the Number One most commonly littered item in the state!