The City of Atlanta is installing 50 cigarette butt and ash receptacles in heavily traveled sidewalk areas - including outside retail and restaurant establishments, bars, hotels, office buildings, parking lots and bus shelters - as part of its recently launched Clean Streets recycling program.

Designed to reduce and properly dispose of downtown’s cigarette waste and to promote the city’s zero waste goals, Clean Streets was created by the mayor’s Office of Sustainability, the Department of Public Works and Keep Atlanta Beautiful. The city is partnering with the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District and recycling company TerraCycle to install the receptacles, which could be installed in other high traffic areas in the city in the future.

The collected cigarette waste will be sent to TerraCycle, which will donate $1 for every pound of cigarette butts recycled to Keep America Beautiful in order to fund and administer litter prevention efforts.

The city of Atlanta will provide public information public information and outreach about the program.

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In this file photo from October 2024, Atlanta Braves outfielder Jorge Soler and teammates react after losing to the San Diego Padres 5-4 in San Diego. The Braves and Soler, who now plays for the Los Angeles Angels, face a lawsuit by a fan injured at a 2021 World Series game at Truist Park in Atlanta. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com