New bins to tackle gum and cigarettes
Released: 2 October 2007
New-style ‘smartbins’ have been installed in Wolverhampton city centre for people to discard their chewing gum and cigarette butts. Twenty three of the eye-catching bins have been mounted on lamp-posts in Dudley Street and Queen Street.
The bins are designed to look slick and modern and fit in with the look of the city centre which has recently benefited from a multi-million pound improvement scheme. Inside the bin is a removable, fire resistant, non-stick liner made of inert stainless steel.
The installation of the bins is the latest stage in the council’s campaign to encourage people to dispose of chewing gum and cigarette ends responsibly. The high-profile campaign was launched in the summer when environmental information officers gave out free ‘gum raps’ to raise awareness of gum litter.
Enforcement officers have also carried out litter patrols and posters have been displayed reminding people that dropping chewing gum is a littering offence punishable by a £60 on-the-spot fine.
Councillor Pat Byrne, Cabinet Member for the Environment, said: “The city centre looks marvellous with new paving and street furniture. The last thing we want is for it to be ruined by people thoughtlessly discarding chewing gum and cigarette ends on the floor. We all want to be proud of our city and people have a duty to do their bit to keep it looking clean and tidy.
“Removing litter is time consuming and costly and so much of it is avoidable if people simply make use of bins and dispose of their rubbish responsibly. These new bins complement our existing bins. I’m sure people will agree that they fit in well with the street-scene, but more than that mean there is now no excuse for throwing chewing gum or cigarettes onto the floor.”
Last year £44,000 was spent on gum-busting initiatives and gum removal across the city.
The council 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.
Wolverhampton was chosen in May as one of 16 areas nationally 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 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 is available from the gumcatchers and gum-rap websites respectively.
Issued by the press office.