Gloucester News
Giant Cigarette Sculptures Built Around Hampton Roads
The Artwork Intended to Bring Awareness to the Environmental Cost of Smoking
Reporter Valiree Vinning
Giant Cigarette statues have been placed all around Hampton Roads for environmental awareness.
Between May 1st and May 14th, large cigarette butts sculptures will be placed all around Virginia in order to spread awareness on how negatively cigarette butts impact the environment.
The first locations kicking off the campaign are Norfolk’s Nauticus, Abingdon, Ark city parks in Gloucester, the Y.H. Thomas Community Recreation Center in Hampton, and the Virginia Beach Convention Center.
As the campaign continues, the future locations will be Chesapeake’s Central Library, the Virginia Zoo, the Virginia Aquarium, the Brock Environmental Center, the James City County Recreation Center and along Godwin Boulevard in Suffolk.
Each location will only hold the statues for a small period of time before moving on to another location. The times for each location are:
May 1-7, in:
Gloucester at Abingdon Park & Ark Park
Hampton at the Y. H. Thomas Community Recreation Center
Norfolk at Nauticus
Virginia Beach at the Virginia Beach Convention Center
May 2-6 in Suffolk at the stoplight onto Godwin Blvd (ramp off of U.S. Route 58 heading eastbound)
May 3-6 in Norfolk at the Virginia Zoo
May 3-7, in:
Suffolk at the VDOT Hampton Roads District Office (7511 Burbage Drive)
Virginia Beach at the Brock Environmental Center
May 3-10 in Chesapeake at the Central Library
May 4-7 in James City County at the JCC Recreation Center
May 7-14, in:
Gloucester at Woodville Park & Gloucester Point Beach
Virginia Beach at the Virginia Aquarium (tentative)
They vary in size from two to three feet long and are made up of PVC pipe and spray foam insulation.
The cigarette sculptures are to symbolize that cigarette litter is not something to be taken lightly. The local partners used this approach to encourage Hampton Roads residents to stop dropping their cigarette butts.
The regional environmental education initiative askHRgreen.org partnered with city governments to launch the #NoButtsAboutIt campaign to help combat the problem.
“It is well documented that cigarette butts are the most frequently littered item in the United States,” Katie Cullipher, an askHRgreen.org team leader told the Daily Press. “Sure they’re small, but flicking a cigarette butt on the ground is actually a big deal. Cigarette litter has a ripple effect in our communities with long-lasting impacts.”
Cigarette butts are swept down into local waterways and storm drains by rain. The tightly packed plastic fibers that they are made of, erode into smaller bits and contribute to the growing microplastic pollution problem.
They are the leading piece of trash found on the outer banks of most beaches.
“Cigarette filters are not biodegradable because they contain cellulose acetate, a form of plastic that does not break down in the environment,” A news release from askHRgreen.org stated. “They also hold toxins that can leach into the ground and surrounding waterways.”
The #NoButtsAboutIt campaign is also pushing for free standing cigarette waste reciprocals. For more information go to askHRgreen.org.