1st August 2007
GUM CRIME - LEEDS TACKLES STICKY PROBLEM
In the UK alone, over 3.5 billion pieces of gum are disposed of every year. However, people who drop their chewing gum on the streets of Leeds are being reminded of the sticky situation they are creating for others. Following Sollihull Metropolitan Borough Council’s successful trial of Gummy Bins, which saw chewing gum litter levels drop by 72%, Leeds City Council has decided to trial 25 Gummy Bins.
Straight is supplying Leeds City Council with the Gummy Bins, which will be placed in the city centre, free of charge to support the council’s chewing gum litter campaign. Chewing gum litter is a growing problem for Leeds City Council as it is time consuming and very costly to remove. Repeated cleaning of pavements does not solve the problem, however, the Gummy Bin provides a proven preventative measure against gum litter.
A standard Gummy Bin installation can collect up to 25,000 pieces of gum per year (based on a 50 bin installation) and its unique and quirky design is easily recognisable. It is hoped that placing the Gummy Bins in prominent locations will help encourage people not to drop their gum on the streets and provide somewhere for them to dispose of it.
The trial is due to run for a period of six months and council staff will be monitoring the amount of gum litter before, during and after the Gummy Bin trial to determine its success. Leeds City Council is currently taking part in a national advertising campaign to raise awareness of the problem of gum litter and is encouraging people to dispose of their gum responsibly. Posters and adverts will appear at bus stops, telephone boxes and railway stations to reinforce the message. Throughout the campaign people will be reminded that they could receive on the spot fixed penalty fines of up to £75 for dropping their chewing gum on the street.
Councillor Steve Smith, executive board member for environmental services, said, “Chewing gum litter blights our streets and there are approximately 300 pieces of gum per square metre in the worst affected areas.”
Councillor Smith continues, “We are extremely pleased to be at the forefront of this campaign and hope that increased awareness raising and education about the problem, as well as a hard-line approach to enforcement will help to reduce the amount of gum litter.”
Jonathan Straight, CEO of Straight plc comments,” We are delighted to be sponsoring Leeds City Council and fully support their chewing gum litter campaign. We look forward to seeing the results from the Gummy Bin installation as this has already been proven to significantly reduce the amount of chewing gum disposed of on the streets in other areas".
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