“Pier Park is proud to be part of this innovative nationwide recycling effort,” said Brent Gardner, Pier Park Mall Manager. “This exemplifies our dedication to creating a more sustainable environment both locally and nationally for generations to come.”
Panama City Beach, FL (PRWEB) November 19, 2013
Pier Park, Panama City Beach’s premier open-air shopping destination with more than 125 popular retail and dining choices, has joined a national effort to keep cigarette waste out of area landfills, waterways and off Panama City Beach streets. The center has teamed up with TerraCycle, a recycling pioneer, to participate in their Cigarette Waste Brigade® hailed as an innovative program that collects and recycles cigarette waste.
As part of the program started six months ago, cigarette butts are being collected from the smoking towers located around property and from the ash trays on Pier Park’s trash cans. The waste is then placed in a separate bin and sent to TerraCycle for recycling.
According to Keep America Beautiful, 65 percent of all cigarette butts are disposed of improperly and cigarette waste accounts for 38 percent of all U.S. roadway litter. Since teaming up with TerraCycle’s Cigarette Waste Brigade, Pier Park’s collections have contributed to a nationwide recycling effort that has recycled more than a ton of cigarette waste since the program began a year ago. For every pound of cigarette waste sent to TerraCycle, a dollar is donated to keep America Beautiful.
“Pier Park is proud to be part of this innovative nationwide recycling effort,” said Brent Gardner, Pier Park Mall Manager. “This exemplifies our dedication to creating a more sustainable environment both locally and nationally for generations to come.”
This unique recycling program is a joint effort between Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Co. (SFNTC) and TerraCycle, which teamed up to create The Cigarette Waste Brigade®, a national program to collect and recycle cigarette butts and other cigarette-related waste. Participation in this nationwide Brigade is limited to adults, aged 21 and older. It is completely free, and all shipping costs are paid by Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company. The collected cigarette butts will be recycled into a variety of products, primarily plastic pallets for industrial uses. Any remaining tobacco or paper will be composted.
Cigarette butts are not biodegradable and do not break down quickly. They, and other related tobacco waste, are the number one item recovered during the annual Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup Day™, with more than 52 million cigarette filters collected from beaches in the past 25 years.
About Pier Park
Pier Park is Panama City Beach’s premier open-air shopping destination with more than 125 retail and dining choices. This one-of-a-kind beachfront family-friendly attraction with resort style, island-inspired architecture features a variety of popular stores, including Dillard’s, jcpenney, Ron Jon Surf Shop, Target, Forever 21, Victoria’s Secret, Old Navy, LOFT and more. Shoppers enjoy numerous eateries like Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, The Back Porch Seafood & Oyster House, Rum Runners Tropical Island Grill, Tootsie’s, Shoney’s, Red Robin and Five Guys Burgers and Fries, as well as a The Grand IMAX Theatre and activity packed Miracle Strip. Pier Park is located at 600 Park Drive in Panama City Beach. For more information on Pier Park, call (850) 236-9979 or visit http://www.simon.com/mall/pier-park, http://www.facebook.com/ShopPierPark or http://www.twitter.com/PierPark.
About Simon Property Group
Simon Property Group, Inc. (NYSE: SPG) is an S&P 100 company and a global leader in the retail real estate industry. The Company currently owns or has an interest in more than 325 retail real estate properties in North America and Asia comprising approximately 241 million square feet. We are headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana and employ approximately 5,500 people in the U.S. For more information, visit the Simon Property Group website at http://www.simon.com.
About TerraCycle
TerraCycle, Inc. is an international upcycling and recycling company that takes difficult-to recycle-packaging and turns it into affordable, innovative products. Founded in 2001, TerraCycle is the world’s leader in the collection and reuse of non-recyclable post-consumer waste. TerraCycle works with more than 40 major brands in the U.S. and around the world to collect used packaging and products that would otherwise be destined for landfills. It repurposes that waste into new, innovative materials and products that are available online and through major retailers. The waste is collected through TerraCycle’s Brigade programs, which are free fundraisers that pay for every piece of waste collected and returned. For information on how to join a TerraCycle Brigade and on purchasing TerraCycle products please visit http://www.terracycle.com.
About Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company
SFNTC manufactures Natural American Spirit additive-free, natural tobacco cigarettes and roll-your-own tobaccos, which include styles that are made with 100% organic tobacco as well as 100% U.S. Grown tobacco.
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