Page 16 - July-Aug 2021 Vol 39 No 2

STATEWIDE By Kathleen Gibi
Campgrounds and Marinas Commit

to Cigarette Recycling Program

Tennessee State Parks have taken a available, visitors who smoke in
step to help prevent cigarette litter—and state parks will properly dispose of
ultimately fire hazards— all while making their cigarettes.
a commitment for 32 campgrounds and Tennessee State Parks have
three marinas to recycle the plastic from marinas, boat launches, boat
every cigarette butt collected. rentals, and guided boat tours
Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful is on lakes, reservoirs, rivers, and
providing Tennessee State Parks with 109 streams throughout the state. More
cigarette receptacles that feature art wraps than 30 Tennessee State Parks offer
with information about the consequences camping opportunities.
of cigarette litter in our waterways. The “We are pleased to join Keep
collected cigarette butts then will be the Tennessee River Beautiful in
shipped to a company called TerraCycle, such a worthy effort,” said Jim
who covers the shipping costs and recycles Bryson, deputy commissioner
the plastic microfibers found in cigarette of the Tennessee Department of
filters into new plastic items, such as Environment and Conservation
outdoor furniture. (TDEC). “The river is an important
“To have 35 Tennessee State Park natural resource for our state,
facilities lead in such an elaborate river and Tennessee State Parks are
stewardship effort is truly going to committed to help keep it that way.”
make an impact for the waterways in Grants Aid the Cleanup Efforts
Tennessee,” said Kathleen Gibi, Executive This particular project with Tennessee litter grant from the Tennessee Department
Director for Keep the Tennessee River State Parks and the Tennessee State Parks of Transportation covered the cost of the
Beautiful (KTNRB). “Littered cigarettes Conservancy was largely made possible design and printing of the initial art wraps.
are surprisingly prolific and harmful through a $10,000 Cigarette Litter TVA then connected KTNRB with the
for our waterways, so the state parks’ Prevention Program (CLPP) Grant from 200+ marinas, campgrounds, and resorts
commitment is a great step in protecting Keep America Beautiful® (KAB). In fact, along the Tennessee River watershed.
the Tennessee River and its tributaries for the national organization has provided Two grants and two years later, KTNRB’s
generations to come.”
KTNRB with 500 receptacles that have program has only grown since then.
Cigarette Filters: No. 1 Plastic Pollutant been installed within the seven states of the The grant from KAB also will fund the
Worldwide Tennessee River watershed over the last distribution of 90 additional receptacles
In January 2019, CNN reported two years. The receptacles are managed by for new participating sites. Marinas,
cigarette filters, which contain tightly marinas, campgrounds, and other tourism campgrounds and other destinations
compacted plastic fibers, to be the No. 1 facilities. According to Keep America located within the Tennessee River
plastic pollutant in the world. In February Beautiful, communities implementing the watershed may submit requests for the
2019, a German scientist named Dr. CLPP have consistently cut cigarette butt free cigarette waste receptacles at www.
Andreas Fath reported a study that found litter by 50 percent over the past decade. KeepTNRiverBeautiful.org/cigarettelitter.
the Tennessee River to have the highest “The Cigarette Litter Prevention “I knew we couldn’t pass up this
levels of microplastics in any river in the Program grants empower communities opportunity based on my experience
world studied to date. to help mitigate the economic, with Keep America Beautiful and
Littered cigarettes that are inevitably environmental, and quality-of-life impact Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful,”
washed into waterways have been known of cigarette littering,” said Jerred Jones, said Kelly Tipler, Executive Director of
to contain toxins with the potential to program director for Keep America Tennessee State Parks Conservancy. “Both
kill aquatic life within two gallons of Beautiful’s CLPP. organizations’ commitment to maintaining
surrounding water. In a preliminary count Including the art wrap, each receptacle and preserving natural resources perfectly
conducted by state park staff, the sites is valued around $115. KTNRB started aligns with our mission, and we’re excited
of these new receptacles were found to the art-wrapped cigarette receptacles to have over 30 Tennessee State Parks
have 1,982 cigarette butts littered on the project while working with the Tennessee participate in this program.”
ground, just waiting to be washed into our Valley Clean Marina Program under the For information on KTNRB’s efforts to
waterways with the next rain. The hope Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). preserve, improve and protect the river,
is that, with this new infrastructure now In 2019, TVA funding as well as a special visit www.KeepTNRiverBeautiful.org.

16 TPW July/August 2021