City Center Partnership receives grant to continue its cigarette litter prevention program
November 6, 2015
Results Show 85% Reduction of Litter Along High Traffic Area
COLUMBIA, SC – City Center Partnership (CCP) announced that Keep the Midlands Beautiful contributed a $2,500 grant to help the organization continue with its Cigarette Butt Litter Prevention Program. The grant helps fund the promotion and purchase of cigarette butt receptacles. CCP has been the recipient of this grant for the program since 2008.
Earlier this summer, City Center Partnership’s Yellow Shirt team conducted an initial scan of littered cigar tips and cigarette butts along the west block of Assembly Street before deciding to extend the Cigarette Litter Prevention Program to this area. After completing a follow-up scanning in this expansion area, the research team was able to determine an 85% reduction in cigar and cigarette butt litter since implementing the program.
“The program is helping us make drastic improvements in our efforts to curb litter. Simple actions like installing ash receptacles and distributing pocket ashtrays have made a big difference in decreasing downtown Columbia’s litter and ultimately keeping our community beautiful,” said Karel Givens, Vice President, Administration & Development. “Since creating our program seven years ago, we’re proud to say we have seen significant reductions in cigarette litter on our downtown streets and sidewalks.”
About City Center Partnership
City Center Partnership, Inc. (CCP) is a non-profit organization that manages South Carolina’s only managed Business Improvement District in the 36-block area bounded by Gervais, Elmwood, Assembly, and Marion streets in downtown Columbia. The organization is funded by the property owners within the 36-block area. For more information, please visit www.citycentercolumbia.sc.
About Keep the Midlands Beautiful
Established in 1989 to serve Richland and Lexington Counties, the mission of Keep the Midlands Beautiful is to engage, inspire, and educate the Midlands to invest in our community through litter prevention, recycling, and beautification. Each year, thousands of Midlands residents volunteer to support this mission, including almost 300 groups regularly removing litter on area roads and waterways, schools and businesses coming together to implement recycling programs, and communities pursuing beautification projects.
