cigarette butt receptacles

Jar of pennies with a young plant growing out of it

Need a Little Seed Money?

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Jar of pennies with a young plant growing out of itOur 2024 Green Grant applications are now available on our Green Grant Program webpage!  Each year we award thirty grants for environmental projects and programs to groups and organizations in Virginia.  The Green Grants program empowers groups all across Virginia to make an environmental impact in their own communities.  This is one of the ways we can engage the people who live in Virginia to improve our natural and scenic environment.

Applications can be submitted between now and April 30, 2024.  Thirty awards will be announced, one each day, in June.  Grant awards are available for $500, $750, or $1,000 proposals. You can read the general Grant Application Guidelines for more information, and can apply in any of the four categories:  Litter Prevention, Recycling/Waste Reduction, Cigarette Litter Prevention, or Community Beautification.

There is so much we can do within our own communities, and we hope a little seed money can help you start or enhance a program or try a new method of living in a more sustainable way.

Here are some ideas for projects and programs that you may need to solve a need for

  • Install cigarette butt receptacles in a no-smoking area or parking lot in your;Green Grants Logo
  • Host a Fix-it Fair to keep items out of the landfill that will have life left in them after small repairs;
  • Purchase grabbers, safety vests, and gloves for volunteers to clean up roads and the landscape;
  • Start a composting program with produce that would be thrown away at a restaurant or at a farmers market, to reduce food waste;
  • Supply your classroom with re-usable lunch boxes, water bottles, storage bags, cloth napkins, and utensils to see how much less trash you create each day.

Thank you for caring about the natural and scenic environment in your community, I hope that you’ll apply for a Green Grant this year.  Please reach out to Beckey Watson at [email protected] if you have any questions about the program.

Man unloading a large dumpster

Free Use of a Dumpster for Your Cleanup

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Man unloading a large dumpsterWe’re still celebrating our 70th Anniversary of our organization with 35 Green Gifts for you!  We want to give you access to the tools needed to get out there and improve the natural and scenic environment of Virginia!

Sometimes you need more than buckets or trash bags to tackle large jobs.  We’re grateful for support from Dumpsters.com to help you tackle that project!  They will provide free delivery and use of a roll off dumpster, which is a large, open-top waste container.  The containers also have a swing door allows the user easier access to load large or heavy items from the ground, instead of throwing them in from the top.

Dumpsters are ideal for large projects, such as:

      • Items from illegal dumping sights
      • Trail clearing of large branches, debris, and invasive species
      • Clearing debris from an abandoned house

Please be mindful not to include items that can be repurposed, donated, or recycled, including cardboard or metal that may have scrap value, to keep those types of items out of the landfill.

If this sounds like something your group is ready to tackle, please apply for a Green Gift from Dumpsters.com before October 15, 2023.  Please see the guidelines on our website.

We have other Green Gifts were giving away too!

On the opposite side of large-scale cleanups is small – very small litter.  Did you know that nine out of ten pieces of litter on the ground in the U.S. were under four inches in size, and cigarette butts continue to be the single most littered item in America (Keep America Beautiful 2021 Litter Study).  In case you need to explain it to people who think that cigarette butts decompose, you can tell them that cigarette butt filters are made of cellulose acetate, a man-made plastic material that contains hundreds of toxic chemicals that are dangerous to wildlife and waterways.Cigarette Butt Cup Ashtray, Wall-mounted Receptacle, and Pouch

One other category of Green Gifts that we’re giving away is for those of you who are concerned about cigarette butt litter.  We’d like to help restaurants, businesses, libraries, municipalities, and others start a Cigarette Litter Prevention Program.  We will give away the needed supplies, including a mounted receptacle, 10 car cup ashtrays, and 50 pocket ashtrays, to encourage others to collect cigarette butts, along with our support for your program.

Then the next step after collecting them is to send the cigarette butts (at no cost) to TerraCycle, a company dedicated to recycling the hard-to-recycle items.  The process the cellulose acetate plastic in cigarette filters into pellets, and create new items, like sturdy benches for your public spaces.

If this sounds like something your group is ready to tackle, please apply for a Cigarette Litter Prevention  Green Gift before October 15, 2023.  Please see the guidelines on our website.

City of Manassas Park, Virginia Logo

City of Manassas Park Awarded Green Grant

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City of Manassas Park, Virginia LogoThe City of Manassas Park is awarded a $500 Green Grant for their Cigarette Litter Prevention efforts, 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.

The City of Manassas Park, located just southwest of Washington, DC, has a newly built complex that includes City Hall, a public library, three restaurant spaces, and a plaza. Many residents and guests visit the plaza, and improperly discarded cigarette butts can be a problem if littered on the ground.

With funds provided by this grant award, they will purchase and install cigarette butt receptacles in the needed locations. After receptacles are installed, the City’s Public Works staff will remove the waste, weigh it and send it to Terracycle for recycling.

According to Keep America Beautiful’s 2020 nationwide Litter Study, cigarette butts account for 88% of litter 4″ or smaller.  Cigarette filters don’t break down naturally and will persist in our environment when littered. Removing this litter from our communities through organized cleanups is just the beginning of keeping cigarette butts out of our retail areas and waterways. After hosting a cleanup, collecting them at home, or with a cigarette receptacle, cigarettes butts can be sent to TerraCycle to be recycled using a free shipping label.   Want to learn more about recycling cigarette butts and other items?  Visit TerraCycle for more information.

Thank you Manassas Park, for tackling the cigarette butt litter problem!  We look forward to your results.

Railroad bridge in St. Paul, Virginia

Town of St. Paul Awarded $500 Green Grant

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Railroad bridge in St. Paul, VirginiaThe Town of St. Paul is awarded a $500 Green Grant in the Cigarette Litter Prevention 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.

Founded in 1911, the Town of St. Paul it is one of the smallest of the six towns in Wise County. Many people visit the town of St. Paul because of their location and the many natural resources of the area.

With cigarette butts being the number one most littered item in Virginia, the Town of St. Paul wants to reduce the amount of cigarette butts littered on the ground. Although they have multiple cigarette butt receptacles throughout Town, there is a need to place more outside of local downtown businesses and in the park. Funds provided by the Green Grants Program will be used to purchase and install three permanent cigarette butt receptacles.

The mission at Keep Virginia Beautiful is to engage and unite Virginians to improve the natural and scenic environment.  Since 2011, the Green Grants Program has provided $282,000 for 385 programs and projects throughout the state.  Funding is made possible through generous support from  Altria, as well as additional sponsorships from WestRock and Village Bank.

Become a Trash Trooper Logo

Clean Essex Committee Awarded Green Grant

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Become a Trash Trooper LogoClean Essex Committee is awarded a $500 Green Grant in Cigarette Litter Prevention to introduce and prove the efficacy of cigarette butt receptacles 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.

The Clean Essex Committee was created in 2019, led by the deputy Essex County administrator and made up of volunteers and County leaders. This committee has regularly held successful semi-annual countywide cleanups in Essex County. The goal of the Clean Essex Committee is to introduce a program which will clean Essex County grounds of cigarette butts.People wearing safety vests, picking up litter on the road

With funds provided by the Green Grants Program, the Clean Essex Committee will pilot an effort to reduce cigarette butt litter by purchasing and installing cigarette butt receptacles at the “transition point” entrances at County Offices and other areas identified.  They also aim to increase awareness of the harm caused by cigarette butt litter, and they will recycle the butts collected through a free recycling program offered by TerraCycle. The County offices are in the Town of Tappahannock where there is a significant opportunity for expanding the program.

Congratulations Clean Essex Committee, we appreciate the work you’re doing!

06-01-23 Social Music

Social Music LLC Awarded $1,000 Green Grant

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Social Music LLC is the opening act as the first award announced for the 2023 Green Grants! They will receive a $1,000 Green Grant in Cigarette Litter Prevention as part of Keep Virginia Beautiful’s 13th Annual Green Grants Program. It’s the first of thirty grants that will be awarded in June.

Social Music LLC is a veteran-owned small business that coordinates one of the largest independent music festivals in the United States promoting Ska music, which originates in Jamaica.   The location of their first summer event will be the Supernova Ska Festival at Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia.  They’re keenly aware of the impact that a large crowd attending the music festival can have on the shore of the Chesapeake Bay.

They will use Green Grants funds to purchase cigarette butt receptacles for their “Keep Our Festival Butt-free” event. They’ll also partner with the Hampton Clean City Commission to provide volunteers to make the festival a litter-free event, in part by providing water bottle refill stations to guests and serving beer in cans instead of plastic cups.  The goal of Social Music LLC is for guests to understand their commitment to the environment and be a partner in keeping it clean.

Fort Monroe Authority is a non-profit partner who has agreed to provide year-round storage of the cigarette butt receptacles, which will be used for other events after the music festival.  Volunteers will clean up the park before and during the event.  They’ll collect cigarettes butts in the park and will promote the importance of recycling cigarette butts through the TerraCycle program.

Each year Social Music LLC hopes to reduce our festival impact on our community and the natural environment surrounding the SuperNova Festival.  They anticipate that guests will understand their commitment to the environment and be a partner in keeping it clean.

We’ll continue to announce the 2023 Green Grants Awards, one each day during the month of June!

Large Fake Cigarette Butts

Green Grant of $1,000 Awarded to askHRgreen for Cigarette Litter Prevention

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Large Fake Cigarette ButtsToday’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.

askHRgreen LogoInitially 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!

Logo for City of Newport News

City of Newport News Awarded $1,000 Green Grant

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Logo for City of Newport NewsTo 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!

Logo for Clean Sweep

$1,000 Green Grant Goes to Frederick County

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Logo for Clean SweepTo help educate its citizens about the negative consequences of cigarette butt litter and to provide a solution for their around the locality’s library, Frederick County is being announced as a $1,000 grant in the Litter Prevention category of Keep Virginia Beautiful’s 12th Annual Green Grants Program.

The new project builds upon the success of the county’s existing “Clean Sweep” litter abatement program that utilizes trustees from the regional jail twice a week to clear roadways of unsightly litter.

The Green Grant Litter Prevention project will focus on a walking trail that was constructed along the lake on the grounds of the county’s Handley Regional Library.  The trail is a welcome addition to the library grounds and provides a safe area for recreation.  It includes story boards along the scenic trails. However, due to the added number of visitors, there has been a noticeable increase in cigarette butt litter. At this time, there are no receptacles for butts on the grounds or along the trail.

Placing cigarette butt receptacles along the trail will give smokers an opportunity to properly dispose of their cigarette butt litter.  The goal of the project is to see a significant decrease in the number of cigarette butts tossed on the grounds, along the trail, and near the lake each month.

Printed materials posted inside the library’s lobby, in message centers at convenience sites located across the county, as well as posts on the county’s website and Facebook pages will raise awareness that cigarette butts, though small, are still litter, costly to clean up, and harm the environment. Information on cigarette butt litter will also be where hits can be measured.

Because cigarette butts are the most littered item in the state – and in the world! – we appreciate Frederick Counties’ efforts and look forward to the results!

$1,000 Grant Award Goes to the Town of Floyd

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Music ConcertToday we’re excited to announce that the town of Floyd, in Floyd County, will receive a grant award of $1000 for its Cigarette Litter Prevention project!  We’ll be announcing one each day during the month of June. 

The Town of Floyd is a small community with just under 500 residents who all support its thriving art and cultural scene. Through the center of town runs Warren G. Lineberry Community Park, a formerly vacant lot that was transformed for use as an event space and town gathering place. In an effort to draw awareness to cigarette litter along their streets, they plan to launch their “Butts to the Bins” campaign.

They will use the $1,000 Green Grant funds to install smoker’s receptacles throughout downtown Floyd, including the Warren G. Lineberry Community Park, the entrance and exit to the Heritage Trail, the main public parking areas, as well as the Floyd Visitors Center, and the Floyd Farmer’s Market.  Educational information bringing awareness to cigarette litter and the new receptacles will be available on a touchscreen visitor station.

Every year, government, non-profit, civic and service organizations in Virginia were invited to apply for grants for $500 to $1,000 describing how they plan to tackle an environmental concern in their community regarding Litter Prevention, Recycling, Cigarette Litter Prevention, or Community Beautification.  Since 2011, Keep Virginia Beautiful has provided $254,500 for 320 different environmental programs and projects all across the Commonwealth, due to the generosity of their partnership with Altria, as well as additional support from Coca-Cola, WestRock and Keep America Beautiful.

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