I’ve fought many battles over cigarette butts in my lifetime. As a kid, I used to hound my father when he’d toss his into the yard when he’d finished. I’d gather them and bring them by the handful. He didn’t like it and I don’t think I ever changed his behavior much. My dislike for cigarette butt litter has not wavered over the years — in fact, I think it has gotten worse.
My passion for removing cigarette butts has lead me to many cleanups where I’ve gathered them by the hundreds in places like the James River Park, Bryan Park, at traffic stops (drivers are the worst) and even along Virginia Dare (N.C. Route 12) in the Outer Banks. I’ve been known to tweet the license plate number of an automobile when I see a driver toss a cigarette butt out the window. Continue reading