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March 2007
GUMMY BINS TOPS DEFRA’S CHEWING GUM TRIALS
A chewing gum reduction scheme run by Solihull Council has
topped DEFRA’s
latest chewing gum trials, reporting results of almost double the average.
Figures published on 2nd March by DEFRA’s Chewing Gum Action Group showed
that the Gummy Bins chewing gum disposal and recycling system at Solihull MBC
was the most effective in the trial. It reduced chewing gum litter by 72% over
a six month period in 2006, compared to an average reduction of 37% across
a total of 15 local authorities taking part (http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2007/070302a.htm).
Gummy Bins has a positive impact on long-standing town centre management issues;
improving hygiene, increasing foot traffic and helping to reduce council tax
bills through savings in cleaning costs.
The Gummy Bin is the world’s first collection and recycling system for
chewing gum. Each Gummy Bin encloses a reusable cartridge that holds up to
500 pieces of spent gum and enables the used gum to be recycled once collected.
A collection service from Gummy Bins is available and the used gum can actually
be recycled into drainage for football pitches.
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Wendy Rollings, Principal Environmental Health Officer
at Solihull Council, is pictured with the Gummy Bins’ eco-bot,
Mr Gummy in Solihull High Street, the site of the most successful
DEFRA chewing gum trial.
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Solihull Council’s Cabinet Member for Safer and Stronger
Communities, Councillor David Bell, was delighted with the outcome: “Gummy
Bins are a great way to encourage people to dispose of their gum
responsibly, and one of the reasons why Solihull's campaign had
such a positive impact. We are delighted to hear that our campaign
was the most successful of all those run last summer”.
Straight plc, sole UK distributor of Gummy Bins to local authorities
said “Local authorities spend on average £15,000 per
year clearing up unsightly, unhygienic chewing gum litter. Recent
legislation has helped raise awareness of the problem, but the
real solution is to persuade people to dispose of their waste gum
responsibly. This is a great result from the DEFRA trial”.
Dave Wesson, Chairman of the Association for Public Sector Excellence
(APSE), a collection of local authorities dedicated to sharing
best practise, comments “Our members have seen tremendous
results with the Gummy Bins system with reductions of over 90%
in chewing gum litter. People are used to recycling and there’s
no reason why it shouldn’t be exactly the same for chewing
gum using Gummy Bins. The results of the DEFRA trial support that
100%”.
The Chewing Gum Action Group is inviting local authorities to apply
for paid-for advertising to support campaigns to tackle the issue
of chewing gum litter.
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