A local authority in South Lanarkshire successfully completed a chewing gum clean-up project thanks to a grant of £27,045 from the Chewing Gum Task Force. The project aimed to tackle the issue of chewing gum being discarded on the streets as part of the council’s It’s Your Place campaign. Over the past few months, the grant was used to target some of the worst affected areas by chewing gum litter.
Councillor Robert Brown, the chair of the council’s community and enterprise resources committee, highlighted the importance of the funding in removing chewing gum from streets and open spaces for the third consecutive year. In addition to physically removing the gum, the funding was also used to address the behavior through the placement of ‘bin your gum’ stickers on street bins in heavily affected areas.
The council’s efforts were part of a broader campaign to combat litter and anti-social behaviors, making the community cleaner and more appealing. The project received support from the third annual round of grants administered by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, with funding from major gum manufacturers such as Mars Wrigley and Perfetti Van Melle.
Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, chief executive of Keep Britain Tidy, emphasized the financial burden that gum litter places on councils and highlighted the importance of responsible gum disposal. Monitoring and evaluation conducted after the clean-up showed a decrease in gum littering six months later in areas where preventive measures were implemented.
The initiative not only aimed to physically clean up the gum but also to raise awareness and promote responsible gum disposal among the public. By targeting behavior through signage and removal efforts, the project sought to create cleaner and more inviting public spaces for residents and visitors alike.