Roanoke’s Stormwater Utility launches Clean Streets Jingle competition

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - Roanoke’s Stormwater Utility wants its message about littering to ring out loud and clear.

That’s why they are launching a Clean Streets Jingle competition this month.

The goal is to share a message about reducing litter, especially cigarette butt waste.

Water Quality Administrator Leigh Anne Weitzenfeld said the major problem areas are in downtown Roanoke, where they find many cigarette butts littered along the ground.

“If these cigarette butts and other forms of trash are in our city streets and in our sidewalks, then they are going to enter into our streams,” Weitzenfeld said.

The goal of this campaign is to reduce cigarette litter by making disposal more accessible and to raise awareness about how these butts can affect local waterways.

Tobacco products make up about a third of litter and are not biodegradable. Litter like cigarette butts has plastic and chemicals inside that make them dangerous to the environment, Weitzenfeld said.

Songwriters have until March 31 to write and submit a 15- to 20-second jingle for the competition.

The top five jingles will win a $100 Downtown Roanoke gift card.

The winners will be announced in April and the jingles will be used in social media outreach, and will be played inside the Roanoke City Market Building and outside Center in the Square.

The city will also add new cigarette butt receptacles throughout downtown to encourage people to recycle their tobacco products.

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