There has been coverage of our launch of a Chewing Gum Task Force, brought together by government, to clean up our streets including in the Telegraph, The Times, The Daily Mail and the Independent..
The scheme will see chewing gum producers, including Mars Wrigley, GlaxoSmithKline and Perfetti Van Melle, managed by charity Keep Britain Tidy, invest up to £10 million over the next five years to help reduce gum litter.
The investment will be used to clean up historic gum litter staining and use behavioural interventions to encourage people to bin their gum.
Environment Minister Rebecca Pow said:
The stains of discarded chewing gum are a blight on our communities, spoiling our streets and wasting millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money.
“This new scheme means chewing gum producers are not only helping to clean up towns and cities as they welcome people back to our high streets, but crucially taking action to prevent people littering in the first place.
“We are committed to building back better and greener and this commitment to making town centres a more attractive and inviting place is a key part of our long-term strategy to breathe new life into our communities.
Littering is a criminal offence and the Government has already empowered local authorities by increasing on-the-spot penalties for offenders to £150, rising to up to £2,500 if convicted in court. The Government is seeking powers in the Environment Bill to ensure that enforcement powers are used with a high degree of professionalism, whether by council staff or private contractors, and to place our improved enforcement guidance on a firm statutory footing.
3 comments
Comment by Robert Nichols posted on
Could it not also poise a threat i.e. covid 19
Comment by Stu posted on
They should have thought about that, when they was giving on the spot fine to smokers dropped cigarette ends, but on the other side of the town, where I live, where the restaurant are, the pavements was covered with chewing gum, but not a litter enforcement officer in sight, which I did mention to one of the enforcement officers, but he just shrugged his shoulders. Wasn’t interested, only interested in smokers. Another case of double standards. And the pavement is still covered in chewing gum, but not a cigarette end in sight.
Comment by Jackie Aucott posted on
As a resident of East Kent it is upsetting to see the quantity of litter which is discarded along the A2, (and its exits), as you drive from Dover to Canterbury. Language on wrappers suggests much is from lorries from the Europe, along with the bottles filled with urine.
Canterbury is one of our most popular tourist destination and the impression this sight gives of our country is embarrassing.
The cost associated with keeping this highway clear of litter must be huge, but if a scheme for tackling gum can be introduced why not for tackling this issue? Maybe then a regular cleaning routine can be put in place, rather than waiting until it becomes an untenable eye sore.