Keep Suffolk Beautiful Continues to Sweep

Keep Suffolk Beautiful has been awarded a $500 grant in the Litter Prevention Category as part of our 30 in 30 program. The KVB grant program focuses greater resources and attention on organizations and individual localities throughout the Commonwealth and how they are addressing the issues of litter prevention, recycling, waste reduction, beautification and education.

KVB provided the opportunity for government, non-profit and/or service organizations in Virginia to apply for one of (30) grants ranging from $500 to $1,000 in three different categories: Beautification and Community Greening, Litter Prevention, and Recycling. These grants are made possible by KVB partners – Capital One, Waste Management and Lowe’s.

Keep Suffolk Beautiful’s cigarette litter prevention campaign, “Butts are Litter Too!”, will be launched on the June 2nd “Clean the Bay Day”. This campaign takes aim at the amount of cigarette butt litter in their city parks and major events. When most people think about litter, they think of paper, bottles, cans, etc., however research has shown that cigarette butts account for 38% of all litter. That equates to billions and billions of cigarettes being tossed onto our sidewalks, beaches, nature trails, gardens, and sadly playgrounds, every single day. Securing this grant ensures that the Suffolk can do its part to reduce cigarette litter and save our environment one butt at a time. They plan to educate the citizens of Suffolk by instilling in them the fact that cigarette butts are litter too. This will be accomplished by distributing cigarette litter prevention brochures and pocket ashtrays during all major City-sponsored events. They will also grab citizens’ attention through public service announcements and signage using the slogan, “Butts Are Litter Too!” Additionally, this grant will provide funds for ash receptacles in City parks both new and to replace damaged or missing units.