Newark and Sherwood District Council has successfully obtained a grant from the Chewing Gum Task Force, administered by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, to help clean up gum and reduce gum littering.
The District Council today announced ambitious plans to remove the chewing gum that blights local streets after receiving a £27,366 grant to tackle the issue.
The council is one of 50 across the country that have successfully applied to the Chewing Gum Task Force, now in its fifth year, for funds to clean gum off pavements and prevent it from being littered in the first place.
The Chewing Gum Task Force grant scheme – established by Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) and run by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy – is open to councils across the UK who wish to clean up gum in their local areas and invest in long-term behaviour change to prevent it from being dropped in the first place.
The Task Force is funded by major gum manufacturers including Mars Wrigley and Perfetti Van Melle, with an investment of up to £10 million spread over five years.
In the past four years, the Task Force has awarded grants worth a total of £6.46 million, funded the cleaning of over 4.15 million square metres of pavements.
Monitoring and evaluation carried out by Behaviour Change – a not-for-profit social enterprise – has shown that in areas that benefitted from funding, a reduced rate of gum littering of up to 86% was seen in the first two months.
Reductions were still being observed six months after targeted street cleansing and the installation of specially designed signage to encourage people to bin their gum.
According to Keep Britain Tidy, around 77% of England’s streets and 99% of retail sites are stained with gum.
Councillor Paul Taylor, Portfolio Holder for Public Protection and Community Relations at Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: “We’re delighted to have secured this funding to help tackle the persistent issue of chewing gum litter across our district. Gum staining is not only unsightly but can be costly to remove, so this investment will make a real difference in improving the appearance of our streets and creating cleaner, more welcoming spaces for residents, businesses and visitors alike. Alongside targeted cleaning, this initiative is also about encouraging long-term behaviour change. By raising awareness and promoting responsible disposal, we can all play a part in protecting our local environment. I’d urge everyone to think twice before dropping gum and to use the bins provided, helping us keep Newark and Sherwood looking its best.”
Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Keep Britain Tidy’s Chief Executive, said: “While chewing gum litter remains a stubborn eyesore in our public spaces, the good news is that this scheme is already driving major improvements. As an environmental charity, we know that every piece of gum dropped irresponsibly damages the environment, taking years to break down naturally, while also leaving taxpayers to foot the bill for costly clean-up operations. Everyone in Newark and Sherwood can play a part in creating cleaner, greener streets for all by binning their gum properly.”