Council targets sticky problem
Released: 14 August 2007
Wolverhampton City Council is tackling the sticky problem of chewing gum discarded on our streets with a range of initiatives in the coming months.
The authority is being supported by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Chewing Gum Action Group to address the issue of chewing gum litter in Wolverhampton.
A high profile campaign will see environmental information officers from the council distributing free ‘gum-raps’ from today (Monday August 13). They will be handing out the chewing gum disposal papers in the city to raise awareness of gum litter and encourage people to dispose of their gum responsibly.
At the same time enforcement officers will be undertaking litter patrols and posters will be displayed to remind people that dropping chewing gum is a littering offence punishable by a £60 on-the-spot fine.
New 'smartbins' will also be put up in the city centre to provide another way to dispose of gum. They will be attached to lamp-posts from September this year as part of the gum litter campaign initiatives - and can also be used for cigarette butts.
Councillor Pat Byrne, Wolverhampton City Council’s Cabinet Member for the Environment, said: “Chewing gum can be an ugly problem, not just in terms of litter but also stained shoes and clothing. It is also expensive and time consuming to clear up from our streets.
“I hope this campaign will go a long way to build on work already undertaken to tackle the blight that thoughtlessly discarded chewing gum can create - and raise awareness of the need to be mindful of how it is disposed of.”
Last year more than £16,000 was spent on deep cleansing and gum removal in Wolverhampton city centre, Wednesfield High Street, Bilston town centre and Tettenhall High Street alone.
Wolverhampton was chosen in May as one of 16 areas to receive support from the Chewing Gum Action Group to run the initiatives.
The group, which is chaired by Defra, has provided the council with paid-for advertising to complement its local campaign, after the authority impressed the group with its bid to be involved in the National Chewing Gum Litter Campaign 2007.
The campaign runs during August and September and reinforces another ran last summer in Wolverhampton. Last year’s campaign involved specialist cleaning operations carried out around the city and the introduction of gum targets which are attached to lamp columns in the city centre. These are covered with a removable sheet and removed and disposed of regularly.
Staff also handed out free gum pouches and wrappers and, again, posters were displayed around the city to raise people’s awareness of the problems caused by chewing gum discarded on the streets.
More information is available from the website link or via email.
The Chewing Gum Action Group chaired by Defra brings together representatives from ENCAMS (which runs the Keep Britain Tidy Campaign); Local Government Association; local government representation; Chartered Institution of Wastes Management; chewing gum industry and the Biscuit, Cake, Chocolate and Confectionery Association (BCCCA).
More information on smartbins and gum-raps are available from the www.gumcatchers.co.uk and www.gum-rap.com websites respectively.
Issued by the press office.