Scott County, Iowa latest to launch local version of successful national campaign

DAVENPORT, IA–Litterers beware! iLivehere Quad Cities is launching a new litter prevention education campaign that calls attention to the inappropriate act of littering, and the thoughtlessness of offenders. The campaign, "Littering is Wrong Too," allows everyone to get involved in a unique way. It links littering with other wrongdoings like "networking at a funeral" or "sending Mother's Day Flowers C.O.D," while also defining the act of littering as socially unacceptable.

Geared at young adults, ages 18 to 34, which includes those found to be most likely to litter, the campaign entertains in order to get people talking. It kicked off in April, and residents can expect to see and hear a lot about the problem of litter in the coming months. The ultimate goal is to shine a spotlight on the thoughtlessness of the litterer, to induce a change in behavior and eventually lead to a cleaner, more beautiful community.

"Sadly, many still don't view litter as a real problem," said Matthew McKenna, President and Chief Executive Officer of Keep America Beautiful, Inc. (KAB). "They don't understand that litter has a real and serious economic impact on a community, in addition to the environmental fallout. For example, a recent KAB study found that litter in a community can decrease property values by 7 percent. We're hoping to engage people through this campaign and, in that process, get them to recognize that littering is a real problem, but a preventable one."

KAB developed the Littering is Wrong Too campaign for affiliates across the country after a successful test pilot of the campaign in Cincinnati. Each affiliate will utilize elements of the campaign that are suitable and relevant for their local communities. iLivehere Quad Cities is the latest affiliate to launch a local campaign.

The campaign began with the launch of several billboards throughout Davenport, followed by print, TV and radio advertising. A "Write your Wrong" Facebook contest began April 4. To participate, Quad Citians should visit www.ilivehereqc.org to be directed to the organization's Facebook page to "Write their Wrong." Submissions for the contest will be taken through midnight on Earth Day, April 22. iLivehere Quad Cities officials will then narrow the entries to the top 10 and post those for voting on the Facebook page. The person who submits the"Wrong" with the most votes receives their "Wrong" on digital billboards in Davenport, along with their name and city. In addition, the winner will receive recognition in print, news releases, on the website and Facebook and a $100 Visa gift card. The second place winner will receive a $50 Visa gift card and third place will receive a $25 Visa gift card.

"By portraying the act of littering as just plain wrong, but in a creative and unexpected manner, we hope to get people to think twice about littering and hopefully help prevent more litter from accumulating here in the Quad Cities," said Erin Vorac, communication coordinator for iLivehere Quad Cities.

iLivehere Quad Cities is also encouraging residents to share their wrongs, photos and videos with friends and family through social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, helping generate more buzz for the problem of litter while engaging residents in a humorous way.

iLivehere Quad Cities will be promoting the Littering is Wrong Too campaign through several upcoming events:

* April 10: Litter cleanup at West High School in Davenport.

* April 18: Davenport High School Challenge, a storm drain marking and cleanup event to prevent litter from entering and contaminating our waterways. This event is taking place around North, Central and West High Schools in Davenport.

* April 20 & 21: Quad Cities Earth Week Fair at the QCCA Expo Center, Rock Island.

* April 27: Downtown Davenport and Bettendorf cleanups.

ABOUT KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL

Keep America Beautiful, Inc., established in 1953, is the nation's largest volunteer-based community action and education organization. With a network of over 1,200 affiliates and participating organizations, Keep America Beautiful forms public-private partnerships and programs that engage individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their community's environment. To learn more, visit www.kab.org. Littering is Wrong, Too is a national campaign developed by Keep America Beautiful. To learn more and see "Wrongs" from across the United States, visit www.LitteringisWrongToo.org.

ABOUT ILIVEHERE QUAD CITIES

or on Twitter @ilivehereqc.

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