Page 24 - Sept-Oct 2019 Vol37 No3

STATE WIDE By Kathleen Gibi
Keeping Cigarettes at Bay...
or At Least Out of the Water

With recent reports finding the and change societal habits, 24 marinas Valley Authority’s (TVA) Tennessee
Tennessee River to possess some of the in Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Valley Clean Marina Program, KTNRB
highest levels of microplastics of rivers Kentucky, and Georgia will be installing requested the high-quality receptacles
studied to date, 150 cigarette waste metal waste collection receptacles in from Keep America Beautiful, who
receptacles are currently being installed a project coordinated by Keep the donated the durable infrastructure
in five states within the river’s watershed. Tennessee River Beautiful (KTNRB). pieces.
Serving more than the mere function
Plus, a recently received $5,000 of collecting discarded cigarettes, the TVA funding and a special litter
Cigarette Litter Prevention Program receptacles also feature educational art grant from the Tennessee Department
(CLPP) grant from Keep America wraps. of Transportation covered the cost of
Beautiful® (KAB) will fund an additional the art wraps. Keep Tennessee Beautiful
200 receptacles to be installed later this “Cigarettes are the most littered item contributed funding to support delivery
summer. in the world because we’ve accepted the of 90 cigarette waste receptacles to
act as part of our culture for generations,” marinas in Tennessee.
In January 2019, Cable News Network said Kathleen Gibi, Executive Director
(CNN) reported cigarette filters, which for KTNRB. “Our goal with these Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful
contain tightly compacted plastic fibers, art wraps is to inform users of the hired Dan Frye, a local graphic designer,
to be the No. 1 plastic pollutant in the detriments of cigarette waste in the water, to design the art wraps, while Allen Sign
world. Furthermore, littered cigarettes such as plastic and toxic pollutants that Company out of Knoxville, Tenn. printed
that are inevitably washed into waterways harm our aquatic life, and then gradually them onto the receptacles.
have been known to contain toxins with change those accepted norms through
the potential to kill aquatic life within awareness.” TVA connected KTNRB with the
two gallons of surrounding water. 200+ marinas along the Tennessee River
Working to support the Tennessee watershed, of which 24 marinas quickly
In an effort to reduce this impact responded. They volunteered to install

24 TPW September/October 2019