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.
The award was presented to the PA Turnpike Commission during the April 21 Commissioner’s Meeting.
Click Here for the PA Turnpike announcement.
For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful website. Click Here to sign up for regular updates from KPB, Like them on Facebook, Follow on Twitter, visit their YouTube Channel.
The 2026 Pick Up Pennsylvania Initiative is now underway! Questions should be directed to Michelle Dunn at 1-877-772-3673 Ext. 113 or send email to: mdunn@keeppabeautiful.org.
(Photo: Brad Heigel, Chief Engineer, PA Turnpike; Phoebe Wetzel, Keep PA Beautiful; Andy Warntz, Keep PA Beautiful; Michelle Tressler, Service Plaza Operations Manager, PA Turnpike; Leslie Gervasio, Director of Communications, PA Turnpike.)
Related Articles This Week:
-- Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Nationally Recognized For Environmental Partnership [PaEN]
-- The Giant Company, Keep PA Beautiful Healing The Planet Grant Program Now Open For Applications To Support Local Native Plantings [PaEN]
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-- Williamsport Sun: Lycoming College Student Athletes Help Clean Community
-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: PA Lawmakers Weigh Bill To Set Rules For Food Waste Spreading On Farms
[Posted: April 22, 2026] PA Environment Digest
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