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Cigarette Litter Prevention & Recycling

Logo for Clean Essex Committee that is a drawing of a badge with a bag of litter and two litter grabbers; words that say Become a Trash Trooper

Clean Essex Committee Awarded $1,000 Green Grant

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Logo for Clean Essex Committee that is a drawing of a badge with a bag of litter and two litter grabbers; words that say Become a Trash TrooperThe Clean Essex Committee in Tappahannock is awarded a $1,000 Green Grant in the Cigarette Litter Prevention and Recycling category as part of Keep Virginia Beautiful’s 15th 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 & Waste Reduction, Cigarette Litter Prevention & Recycling, or Community Beautification.  

The Clean Essex Committee is a freestanding Committee that serves Essex County and Tappahannock.  The committee serves to reduce litter in the County and the Town of Tappahannock.  During the past four years volunteers have held two community-wide clean ups each year, resulting in the collection of over 1,000 of trash to date and 32 tires. The committee has helped double the number of Adopt a Highway permits in the county. Additionally a tire recycling box has been added to the one area of the county that lacked a box at the committee’s request. That box receives a significant number of tires and the committee estimates fewer tires are released into nature.

Funds awarded for the Green Grant will be used to purchase six post-mounted cigarette butt receptacles at a highly utilized picnic area and adjacent fishing spots on the Rappahannock River in the Town of Tappahannock near the Essex County building complex.  The receptacles will reduce the number of butts thrown on the ground that eventually get washed by rainwater into the nearby Rappahannock River. This result furthers the mission of the Clean Essex Committee with the long-term goal of helping cause a culture change of no littering in the community. 

Thank you, Clean Essex Committee, for the important work you’re doing in your community to combat cigarette butt litter — the #1 most-littered items!

Students at lunch table being served by an adult, using compostable plates and forks.

Apply for a Green Grant Before April 30

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Green button with hand pointing to it, indicating "Apply Now"Apply before it’s too late!

If you’ve been thinking about applying for one of the thirty Green Grants that will be awarded, now’s the time to complete your application and submit it by April 30, 2025!  You can learn more about the Green Grants program HERE.

The online application form is short and simple!  Just tell us a little about your organization, your contact information, explain your project or program, tell us your budget, and state how you’ll measure your results!  You can request a grant that suits the size of your project for $500, $750, or $1,000.

  • Are you tired of cigarette butt litter in front of your business, library, or park? Did you know that cigarette butts are recyclable?  The plastic in cigarette butt filters can be melted down and remade into valuable things, like park benches!  Apply for a Cigarette Litter Prevention & Recycling grant to get the supplies, tools, and information you need to combat the cigarette butt litter problem!
  • Does your homeowners association, school, or faith community want to start a composting program?  Or want to host a Community Fix-it Fair to repair people’s items instead of adding them to the landfill?  Apply for a Recycling grant!
  • Does your youth group, Scouts, or other organization take part in cleanups, and need litter grabbers, vests, or other supplies for your group to conduct future cleanups?  Apply for a Litter Prevention grant!
  • Is there a vacant lot in your community that’s overgrown with invasive species and would be transformed into a public green space with some improvements?  Or an area that would benefit from painting over graffiti?  Then apply for a Community Beautification grant!

Here’s a couple of award winners from last year to give you some ideas of great work that can be done with Green Grants:

Students at lunch table being served by an adult, using compostable plates and forks.St. Patrick’s School, Norfolk, Virginia:  Students requested a change to using Styrofoam plates and containers for teachers and students who receive lunch “to go” when eating away the cafeteria for testing, meetings, or special events.

With funds from their Green Grants award, the school purchased compostable salad plates, forks, and clamshell containers.  The administration and the dining hall staff are committed to the effort of a more Earthy-friendly dining experience on campus!

Recycling bin a summer Boy Scout Camp in scenic mountain areaBlue Ridge Mountain Council Boy Scouts, Pulaski County, Virginia:  Today’s youth are in tune with recycling and given the opportunity to take part, will do it. That wasn’t possible at Camp Powhatan before last Summer.  The County did not offer the service, the camp did not have the dedicated recycle bins, and there was not a culture in place to recycle.

With the implementation of the bins and the addition of a rented compacting dumpster for recycling, the Scouts were able to recycle hundreds of pounds of plastic and aluminum!

If you want more ideas and inspiration, take a look at last year’s Green Grants projects and programs.  Just follow this link for a list of awards.  To see all that they accomplished, see their results HERE!

REMEMBER TO SUBMIT YOUR GRANT APPLICATION BY MIDNIGHT ON APRIL 30th!