The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PA Turnpike), in partnership with Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful (KPB), received national recognition for addressing a persistent litter problem – cigarette waste – with an innovative combination of public service and stewardship.
Keep America Beautiful, KPB’s parent organization, selected the PA Turnpike as its 2025 State Agency Partnership Award honoree, recognizing its proactive approach to containing one of the Commonwealth’s most frequently littered products.
Through the partnership, the PA Turnpike reduced cigarette litter at its 17 service plazas across the 565+ mile roadway system.
According to KPB’s 2019 Litter Research Study, Pennsylvania’s roadways are burdened with approximately 502.5 million pieces of litter. In 2024, the PA Turnpike and KPB teamed up to deploy $20,000 in grant funding that placed receptacles at each of the 17 PA Turnpike service plazas and interchange access points. Leveraging these high-traffic areas maximized impact, changed public behavior, reduced pollution, and protected Pennsylvania’s natural resources. As a result, cigarette litter dropped 43% from pre-receptacle installation.
“The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is dedicated to building partnerships and responsibly fulfilling its environmental obligations,” said PA Turnpike Director of Communications and Commission Sustainability Co-Chair Leslie Gervasio. “The Cigarette Litter Prevention Program united those priorities in a meaningful way, and we’re proud to be recognized alongside Keep PA Beautiful.”
To further emphasize its commitment, the PA Turnpike put the winning entries from this year’s Litter Hawk Youth Award Program on permanent display at select service plazas.
“By working with us to reduce cigarette litter and elevate messages of environmental responsibility, including the display of youth designed artwork, the PA Turnpike Commission has demonstrated true leadership. This exemplifies the kind of collaboration this partnership award is meant to recognize and honors the Commission’s commitment to sustainability and its role as a model for others across the Commonwealth. Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is honored to partner with the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission,” said Shannon Reiter, Executive Director of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful.
