Entities in Georgia’s six coastal counties have joined forces against the nation’s number one most littered item: CIGARETTE BUTTS. Providing comprehensive coverage of Georgia’s coastal area, Georgia’s Coast is Not an Ashtray is a regional educational outreach initiative.
Made of cellulose acetate, a type of plastic, cigarette butts do not easily biodegrade. Discarded butts have a negative impact as land litter, but once blown into storm drains or tossed directly into water sources, this toxic litter becomes marine debris, leaching chemicals into marine and aquatic environments and potentially being ingested by those inhabitants. With coastal Georgia’s proximity to the Atlantic Ocean as well as its abundance of streams, rivers, lakes, creeks, salt and freshwater marshes and ponds, the coast-wide initiative focuses on cigarette butts in relation to water bodies.
Funded by a Keep America Beautiful cigarette litter prevention program grant, the initiative consists of cigarette waste receptacle placement, radio public service announcements, social media/video promotion, educational outreach & materials, drink coaster outreach, business sign placement, litter cleanups and pocket/car ash tray distribution.