The government has announced a new chewing gum task force, backed by up to £10 million investment from chewing gum producers, to help eradicate gum litter from our high streets.
The scheme, including Mars Wrigley, GlaxoSmithKline and Perfetti Van Melle and managed by independent charity Keep Britain Tidy, will see gum firms invest up to £10 million over the next five years to help reduce gum litter.
Chewing gum litter is a blight on our towns and cities and wastes millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money every year; the annual clean-up cost is estimated at £7 million. Around 87% of England’s streets are stained with gum, according to research by Keep Britain Tidy.
The investment, starting later this year, will be used to clean up historic gum litter staining and use behavioural interventions to encourage people to bin their gum. Previous pilots have reduced gum littering by up to 64%.
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.
Richard Fuller, MP for North East Bedfordshire, said:
The stains of discarded chewing gum are a blight on our communities, spoiling our streets and wasting millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money.
That is why the government announced a new Chewing Gum Taskforce, with up to £10 million in investment from chewing gum producers who are not only helping to clean up towns and cities, but also taking crucial action to prevent people littering in the first place.
