Dollywood Makes History With New Cigarette Butt Recycling Program

Dollywood Makes History With New Cigarette Litter Prevention and Recycling Program

Representatives from the groups that made Dollywood‘s massive cigarette plastic recycling project possible pose with a bench made from recycled cigarette plastic.

(September 1, 2022) – Last year,

partnered with the river cleanup nonprofit,

(KTNRB), on a massive cigarette litter prevention project, making Dollywood the first theme park in the world to recycle the plastic from every cigarette butt collected in guest-facing receptacles on its property.

KTNRB was able to provide Dollywood with 26 art-wrapped cigarette receptacles through a collaboration of grants and sponsorships from Keep America Beautiful®, Keep Tennessee Beautiful (opens in a new tab), the Tennessee Valley Authority (opens in a new tab) (TVA), and the American Eagle Foundation (opens in a new tab).

“This is a pioneering step that Dollywood is taking with this project—one that sets an example that our waterways are worth protecting and one that is the largest recycling impact of its kind within the seven-state Tennessee River watershed,” said Kathleen Gibi, KTNRB Executive Director. “We’re grateful to all of the partners who have made this project possible.”

In gratitude of the continuing impact from Dollywood’s efforts, KTNRB gifted two benches made from tightly compressed plastic that came from used cigarette butts. The benches were donated to KTNRB by TerraCycle (opens in a new tab), an international recycling company that recycles cigarette plastic into outdoor furniture. The donated benches have appropriately been installed near Dollywood’s River Rampage water ride.

THE IMPACT

Dollywood has now recycled the plastic from more than 250,000 cigarette butts to date from receptacles installed at designated smoking sections within the theme park.

“Dollywood has been recognized as one of the most beautiful theme parks in the world due, in part, to the beauty of East Tennessee,” said Carol Agee, Dollywood Sr. Manager of Community Affairs and Strategic Alliances. “It is vital for us to maintain this beauty by caring for our natural surroundings. Through our partnership with KTNRB, we are able to take hundreds of thousands of cigarette butts and remove them from the waste stream.”

The Pigeon River is part of the Tennessee River watershed and runs through the center of Dollywood.

In January 2019, CNN reported cigarette filters, which contain tightly compacted plastic microfibers, to be the No. 1 plastic pollutant in the world. Studies have also found that once in the water, a littered cigarette butt can contain enough toxins to kill aquatic life within two gallons of surrounding water.

This is one of 26 cigarette receptacles installed throughout Dollywood as part of a recycling project with Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful.

HOW THE PROJECT WORKS

Keep America Beautiful and Keep Tennessee Beautiful provided KTNRB funding for the cost of the receptacles, estimated around $8,000. Dollywood designed the art wraps to match the theme park’s branding, and KTNRB had the wraps printed onto the receptacles with a combination of grants and sponsorships from Keep America Beautiful, the American Eagle Foundation, and TVA.

Dollywood installed the receptacles throughout the theme park property and staff regularly empty the cigarette butts until full boxes are ready to be sent off for recycling.

Once Dollywood’s staff members collect enough cigarette butts to send off, TerraCycle covers the cost of shipping to their facility in New Jersey. TerraCycle then works with processors and manufacturers to recycle the plastic microfibers found in cigarette filters into outdoor plastic furniture.

KTNRB is able to track how many cigarette butts have been processed through TerraCycle’s website once they have been processed through the recycling facility.

In total, KTNRB has 800 art-wrapped cigarette receptacles installed in all seven states of the Tennessee River watershed, with partners at marinas, campgrounds and businesses maintaining them. To date, more than 275,000 cigarette butts have been recycled in the seven-state effort, making Dollywood the largest recycler in KTNRB’s Cigarette Litter Prevention Program.

“We’re grateful to have such a leader within our watershed and hope their example inspires others to follow,” said Gibi. “We could think of no greater theme park to champion such an effort than Dollywood, who has so successfully married the theme park experience with the stunning setting of the Great Smoky Mountains and the Pigeon River, demonstrating to park visitors each year that our natural assets are both cultural and economic treasures,” said Gibi.

For more information about the KAB Cigarette Litter Prevention Program, CLICK HERE

Chip's Good Word - Cleaning Up Cigarette Butts

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About Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful:

Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful is a 501c3 nonprofit and is the first Keep America Beautiful affiliate in the nation to focus solely on a river. Its mission is to rally communities along the Tennessee River and its tributaries to preserve, improve and protect the river for generations to come. To date, 3,805 volunteers have helped the organization to remove 562,409 lbs. of trash along the 652-mile Tennessee River and its tributaries that reach into seven states.

www.KeepTNRiverBeautiful.org (opens in a new tab)

Contact: Kathleen Gibi, Executive Director kathleen@keeptnriverbeautiful.org | 865.386.3926

About Dollywood Parks & Resorts:

A highly-awarded and widely-recognized leader in the amusement industry, The Dollywood Company consists of the 160-acre Dollywood theme park; the 35-acre Dollywood’s Splash Country; and Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa. Currently under construction, Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort is scheduled for completion in 2023. As unique as its namesake and owner Dolly Parton, Dollywood is the 2010 Applause Award winner, the theme park industry’s highest accolade; winner of 45 Golden Ticket Awards; and recipient of 28 Brass Ring Awards for Live Entertainment (more than any other theme park in the world). The park is located near Great Smoky Mountains National Park and was named in 2022 by Tripadvisor as the top theme park in the country. It also has been recognized as a top-three U.S. theme park by USA Today on multiple occasions. Dollywood is open mid-March through early January and offers rides and attractions, shows and crafters authentic to the East Tennessee region. Dollywood’s Splash Country, recognized by the Travel Channel and Tripadvisor as one of the country’s most beautiful water parks, operates from mid-May to Labor Day. Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa, a favorite of USA Today voters and Tripadvisor reviewers, provides guests with spectacular mountain views and family-friendly amenities next door to Dollywood theme park and Dollywood’s Splash Country. For more information, visit dollywood.com. Operating days and hours vary.

About TerraCycle:

TerraCycle (opens in a new tab) is an international leader in innovative sustainability solutions, creating and operating first-of-their-kind platforms in recycling, recycled materials, and reuse. Across 21 countries, TerraCycle is on a mission to rethink waste and develop practical solutions for today’s complex waste challenges. The company engages an expansive multi-stakeholder community across a wide range of accessible programs, from Fortune 500 companies to schools and individuals, and has raised over $44 million for schools and nonprofits since its founding more than 15 years ago. To learn more about TerraCycle and join them on their journey to move the world from a linear economy to a circular one, please visit www.terracycle.com. To learn more about joining the Cigarette Waste Free Recycling Program, interested organizations and individuals are invited to reach out to litter@terracycle.com for more information

About Keep America Beautiful®:

Keep America Beautiful®, the nation’s leading community improvement nonprofit organization, inspires and educates people to take action every day to improve and beautify their community environment. Established in 1953, Keep America Beautiful® strives to End Littering, Improve Recycling, and Beautify America’s Communities. We believe everyone has a right to live in a clean, green, and beautiful community, and shares a responsibility to contribute to that vision. The organization is driven by the work and passion of 700 Keep America Beautiful® affiliates, millions of volunteers, and the collaborative support of corporate partners, social and civic service organizations, academia, municipalities, elected officials, and individuals. Join us on Facebook (opens in a new tab), Instagram (opens in a new tab), Twitter (opens in a new tab), Linkedin (opens in a new tab), and YouTube (opens in a new tab). Donate and take action at kab.org.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

McCall Vrydaghs

Keep America Beautiful®