SR0951 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

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SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Litter is a problem that affects every community's health, safety, aesthetics, environment, and economy; and

WHEREAS, Over the last half century, the amount of litter in our communities and across our nation has decreased by 61%, thanks to national public awareness campaigns and cleanup programs; despite these steps forward, the nation's litter problem still persists; and

WHEREAS, Cleanup costs for litter are placed on business owners, property owners, and taxpayers; according to a study conducted by the American Chemical Society's Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research Journal, litter cleanup costs our nation $11.5 billion a year; and

WHEREAS, According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, cleanup of litter has cost the State $9.1 million over the past year; and

WHEREAS, Increased cigarette litter has become a vast problem for the people, wildlife, and environment of the State, and has worsened since the Smoke Free Illinois Act went into effect on January 1, 2008; and

WHEREAS, Approximately 10% of cigarette butts are properly disposed of in ash receptacles, resulting in 4.5 trillion cigarette butts being littered into the environment each year; and

WHEREAS, Nearly all cigarette filters are composed of slowly-decomposing cellulose acetate and can linger in the environment for years; and

WHEREAS, Increased awareness by labeling cigarette butts as litter, a fire hazard, an environmental hazard, and an economic burden is an important step toward reducing cigarette litter in communities; and

WHEREAS, The control of litter and litter prevention is vitally important to the quality of life in Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Keep America Beautiful, Inc., a national nonprofit organization with a history of addressing litter for over 50 years by encouraging individual responsibility, community partnerships, and advocating volunteerism, is addressing the emerging cigarette butt litter problem; and

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois and many communities in the State have formed partnerships with Keep America Beautiful, including Carbondale, Centralia, Chicago, Evanston, Moline, Peoria, Oak Park, Rock Island, Salem, Vermilion County, West Cook County, and Northern Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Keep America Beautiful has created a Cigarette Litter Prevention Program that has successfully reduced cigarette butt litter in communities by an average of 55%; and

WHEREAS, The Cigarette Litter Prevention Program has achieved its success by implementing cigarette litter awareness campaigns, encouraging the enforcement of litter laws, and distributing cigarette receptacles and pocket ashtrays; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the citizens of Illinois to preserve the natural beauty of the State by implementing litter control programs in their communities; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge the citizens of Illinois to pursue federal and private grants to implement community based litter control and prevention programs, like the Cigarette Litter Prevention Program sponsored by Keep America Beautiful; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we recognize Keep Illinois Beautiful for their commitment to improving communities and environments in Illinois and across the nation; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Keep Illinois Beautiful.