The Surfrider Foundation is offering free cigarette containers for the outside of

businesses that allow smoking in an effort to keep cigarette butts out of the

environment.

The non-profit organization received a grant from Keep America Beautiful, which, in

turn, got a grant from “big tobacco” for a program to keep cigarette butts

out of the environment

Surfrider says cigarette butts are one of the most dominant forms of litter as they are

made of materials that are hard to biodegrade and contain tobacco toxins.

Surfrider is asking merchants who have regular smokers outside their businesses, such

as bars and restaurants, to adopt a cigarette disposal box, made of thick aluminum, near

their business. By adopting the box, merchants would volunteer to empty out the box

when full and put its contents in a container that would be mailed to a

recycling center.

For more information, contact Shelly Ericksen at the Surfrider Foundation at

hotyb@sf.surfrider.org.