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May 8, 2002
Contact: Linda Holterhoff: 513-352-4382 OR Heather Harlow: 513-352-4385
Keep Cincinnati Beautiful Offers Pocket Ashtrays to “Party In The Park” Attendees CINCINNATI - On Wednesday, May 8, 2002, at the “Party in the Park” in Yeatman’s Cove Park, Keep Cincinnati Beautiful will be on-hand with their “E-van” to help smokers properly dispose of their cigarette butts.Since ashtrays are always at a premium at events, Keep Cincinnati Beautiful will distribute pocket ashtrays. They are foil-lined for safe storage and take up less space in your pocket or purse than a pack of cigarettes. Simply store your butt in one of these temporary ashtrays until you can dispose of it properly. Best of all, the pocket ashtray is reusable.
Here are some of the facts on cigarette butt littering (from www.cigarettelitter.org):
* Cigarettes are the number one source of litter in America and the world, with an estimated 4.5 trillion littered annually.
* Cigarette filters are NOT biodegradable - they are made of plastic fibers.
* Littered cigarette filters contain toxic chemicals, which are released into the environment.
* Cigarette litter causes numerous fires every year, many of which are fatal.
Locally, Keep Cincinnati Beautiful volunteers counted 7,000 butts littered in a four square block area. If you extrapolate that number out over a year across all downtown streets, the total amount of cigarette butts would stretch from Cincinnati to Orlando, Florida.
To receive a free pocket ashtray, visit us at the Party in the Park or call (513) 352-4380.
Keep Cincinnati Beautiful is a not-for-profit organization promoting litter prevention, recycling, and community improvement and beautification through citizen action, education and strategic partnerships in the Greater Cincinnati area.
