Member Story of the Month:
Tobacco Free Alliance

 
 

Written by Erin Keleske, Water Centric City Program Coordinator for the Environmental Collaboration Office
February 10, 2020

Initiative Leaders: Anneke Mohr and Mykol Gonzalez 

 

I can’t remember the last time I went online without seeing a picture of an animal caught in a plastic 6-pack ring or a fish with a stomach filled to the brim with microplastics. Around the world, communities are tackling this plastic problem through straw bans, plastic bag legislation, and educational initiatives. But globally we may be turning a blind eye to a silent killer and it should come as no shock that the same product is also killing 8 million people a year.

Tobacco related products are the most littered plastic item in the world. In Milwaukee  alone, volunteers collected nearly 40,000 tobacco-related products at cleanups over the last ten years. That’s the equivalent of 1,500 packs of cigarettes and 2,000 packs of cigars.

But thanks to Plastic-Free Coalition Member, the City of Milwaukee Tobacco Free Alliance, 24 receptacles have been installed around the City to combat this problem and educate the public about tobacco litter and resources for those ready to quit. This initiative is part of a larger national campaign started by the Surfrider Foundation in 2004, playfully named, “Hold on to Your Butt.” 

Coordinator Anneke Mohr says the campaign stems from earlier initiatives that targeted tobacco-use at public events and festivals intended to protect both our physical environment as well as the young and at-risk community members that frequent these spaces.  

To continue our partnership, we’ve incorporated the campaign into our Lake Friendly Business Certification program. In addition to the six main principles required of all certified restaurants, cafes, and bars, businesses also must choose one additional action to reduce their plastic waste from a list of options, now including “Install a cigarette butt receptacle.” Our hope is the public will see plastic waste comes in many forms, including those we don’t often expect. 

In December, the City of Milwaukee Tobacco Free Alliance honored Plastic-Free MKE with their Innovative Partner of the Year Award. We wanted to take this opportunity to thank Anneke and Mykol for their invaluable partnership, their creativity, and their unyielding dedication to creating a better Milwaukee. 

Be sure to keep an eye out for the Tobacco Free Alliances’ receptacles, installed at the following locations!

  • Bradford Beach

  • McKinley Beach

  • South Shore Beach

  • Riverworks MKE (Concordia Ave)

  • Community Advocates (James Lovell St.)

  • Neu Life Community Resource Center (North Ave.)

  • Diverse and Resilient (Holton St.)

  • Various locations along Brady St. and North Ave. 

Learn more about Hold On To Your Butt MKE, visit their Facebook Page!