At your local parks, community areas or sports fields, you might see lots of green grass and happy people, but look closer. See a lot of litter due to cigarette butts? Cigarette butts are the most littered item in the world. Now is your chance to give back to your community, while raising awareness for a good cause. Getting started is simple, just create No Limits signs and posters with facts or messages about Big Tobacco and the environmental impacts cigarette butts have on people, plantlife and wildlife. Print them out, and position them around your target area (a specified area for clean-up, marked by flags). Then, take each target area and pick up all the cigarette butts you can find! Collect the litter into clear bags and put Big Tobacco’s trash on display for the world to see.
Time:
First Meeting:
Define your goals for the clean-up, how many cigarette butts do you think you will find? Discuss ways to use this clean-up to share information on the damaging impacts of tobacco on the environment. Next, obtain permission to perform the clean-up, and decide what you will need for supplies (gloves, marker flags, sandwich bags or clear storage bags etc.).
Second Meeting:
Designate target areas to specific volunteer groups. Create posters or any promotional materials you may want, and gather supplies.
Planning:
Get permission to do the clean-up if needed.
Try to pick a day/time that will have the most impact, like Earth Day or the Great American Smokeout.
Have lots of help to set flags or markers at the event to make the task go quicker.
Consider providing pamphlets, stickers or reading material for citizens at the park who may have questions or want more information.
Create posters with the same facts to hang up around the event.
Let your local media and No Limits know about your event ahead of time.
Get the word out so you can recruit new volunteers to help with the event, and possibly even join No Limits!
This event is good-weather permitting, be sure to check weather forecasts ahead of time.
Words of Wisdom:
Tailor your message and goals to your community for a bigger impact!
Plan to stay around after the clean-up to share more information and to show off the litter that was collected.
Consider using a large glass jar to put cigarette butts in and allowing participants to guess the number in exchange for a prize.
Be sure to wear your No Limits gear while doing the clean-up!