(WGAL News 8 Local) Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is partnering with the Pennsylvania Turnpike to implement the Cigarette Litter Prevention Program at 17 service plazas.

The CLPP program will begin with a physical count of cigarette butts and other tobacco-related products littering each service plaza. Ash receptacles will then be installed at the entrance to buildings and other transition points.

Two additional counts will be done during the program, allowing a before and after comparison to determine the effectiveness of the program.

The cigarette butt waste that is collected will be recycled and composted. The discarded cigarettes will be shipped to TerraCycle, where the various materials that make up a cigarette are separated and processed. The filters are melted into hard plastic that can be remolded to make new recycled industrial products, such as plastic pallets. The residual tobacco and paper are separated out and composted in a specialized process.

Read the entire article and watch the interview with Director of Programs, Heidi Pedicone

Learn more about the Cigarette Litter Prevention program