Page County awarded $1,000 litter-prevention grant

Photo byKeep Virginia Beautiful/Page County, Virginia

PAGE COUNTY, Va. – The Page County Department of Solid Waste was recently awarded a $1,000 “green grant” to launch a new beautification program, focused on reducing the amount of cigarette litter in the area.

Green grants, available through the federal government, are awarded to industries or fields dedicated to the reduction of harmful human impact on the planet.

Awarded by the Keep Virginia Beautiful foundation, the Page County grant will help to facilitate a “No Butts About It” campaign to raise awareness and reduce cigarette butt litter in the area.

Keep Virginia Beautiful is a Richmond-based non-profit organization focused on reducing litter, improving recycling methods and helping communities with beautification efforts.

Each year, government, non-profit, and service organizations in the commonwealth are invited to apply for grants (ranging from $500 to $1,000) that will help address community environmental concerns. Grants must focus on at least one of the following priorities: recycling, cigarette litter prevention, general litter prevention or community beautification.

Photo byBrian Yurasits/Unsplash

Funds from the Page County award will go toward the purchase of cigarette butt receptacles that encourage proper disposal of cigarette litter. Stationary receptacles will be placed at county convenience sites, and mounted receptacles will be installed at community buildings. ArcMate trash grabbers (pole-extension, cane-like tools used to pick up items from a standing position) will also be purchased for the safety and convenience of those picking up littered cigarette butts

The Page County Department of Solid Waste will also distribute auto ash trays at events throughout the year, including Earth Day, Ruritan talks, and a Hazardous Waste education event.

As part of cigarette litter prevention planning, the department will count cigarette butts collected in targeted areas before the installation of the receptacles, and compare that to the number of butts found littered after the receptacles are in place. The data collected will be compared and analyzed to determine any patterns of littering behaviors.

The Page County Department of Solid Waste processes trash and recycling from three towns and surrounding counties. The department oversees the Battlecreek Landfill as well as the recycling sites in Shenandoah and Springfield.

The Keep Virginia Beautiful foundation has existed, in different forms, since the 1960s, and for the past decade has focused on becoming one of the leading statewide voices for environmental improvement. The Page County Green Grant was announced on June 28.

For more information on Keep Virginia Beautiful, or to learn how you can get involved, visit keepvirginiabeautiful.org, follow them on Facebook @KeepVirginiaBeautiful or email info@keepvirginiabeautiful.org.