Contain(er) Your Butts

Did you know that cigarette butts are the number one most littered item? Cigarette butts dropped carelessly on sidewalks or thrown from vehicles are carried by rain water into storm drains, streams and ultimately into the James River.

Ninety-five percent of cigarette filters are composed of cellulose acetate, a plastic material that disintegrate slowly. These filters are harmful to animals and marine life, as they are often mistaken for food and cause digestive blockages or other harmful effects.

Cigarettes also litter beaches and require expensive clean-up procedures. (Many beaches now have smoke-free beach laws to help reduce butts.)

Smokers should think twice before stomping out cigarettes on the ground or throwing them out of the car window. Be more accountable to Mother Nature and dispose of your butts in a proper waste receptacle at all times.