A big round of applause for Turkey Hill and its partners in this initiative.

Last week a newspaper article stated, “Lancaster County is on the front line of a campaign to recycle cigarette butts, the most common source of litter in the United States. An experimental effort involving Turkey Hill Minit Markets, the Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company and national recycling company TerraCycle is trying to turn cigarette butts into plastic pallets and compost, rather than unsightly waste.”

Numerous posts, articles and photos about this water-polution hazard and unsightly trash have appeared at Columbia news, views & reviews in the past including this one. “Cigarette butts are, by some counts, the world’s number one litter problem,” according to this National Geographic article.

A Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority (LCSWMA) Waste Matters Webpage from 2013 states, “Did you know that cigarette smoking in America has decreased over the years, yet cigarette butts remain one of the most littered items in the United States? Every day, cigarette butts pollute our sidewalks, nature trails, gardens, parks, streets and other public places. Littering of cigarette butts is unsightly, costly to clean up and harmful to waterways and wildlife.

“Keep America Beautiful (KAB) has established a cigarette litter prevention program designed to support local communities in their efforts to reduce cigar tips and cigarette butt litter. KAB’s program offers information, strategies, tools and resources to empower citizens in the fight against litter. For more detailed information on the program, visit: www.preventcigarettelitter.org“