We’ve partnered with the Local Government Association (LGA) to table a cross party motion in Parliament, along with a petition asking government to hold gum producers accountable for the huge costs of cleaning chewing gum off streets across our country.
Our local councils currently stump up a total of £60 million a year removing an estimated two million pieces of gum from pavements – money which is desperately needed elsewhere. We’d much rather see it spent on pressing issues such as social care and housing, homelessness and other vital, underfunded community services.
Chewing Gum never biodegrades. It’s hard to find out exactly what’s in most gum bases as the recipes tend to be closely guarded secrets, though most sources mention polymers, the same type of material used to make plastics and rubbers. This goes some way to explaining why this grim, sticky source of pollution needs specialist equipment, and costs a fortune, to remove.
Read the full Daily Telegraph article here.
To sign the petition click here.
*We’re interested to learn more about how synthetic gum bases are made – could they be classed as a single-use plastic? If you can help us understand more please get in touch via the Contact Us form. Thank you!
[…] Up Britain and the Local Government Association (LGA) both support a tax on gum producers. A cross-party motion was tabled in Parliament this February calling on the Government to tax […]
Not before time. Ban the stuff altogether like Singapore.
I’ve been contacting some of the motorway services companies as they are pretty disgusting. Success with Welcome Break who are taking real action. I also started a petition which would deter littering from vehicles although I have only got to 6800 signatures so far
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/582331
We need to work together with the councils and highways so they enforce the laws we already have