£1 million to clean up chewing gum stains

The government has announced more than £1 million in funding for 52 councils across the UK to clean up chewing gum stains.

Councils including those in Glasgow, Fermanagh and Omagh, Bradford and Cardiff are set to receive a share if £1.2 million from the fourth round of funding from the Chewing Gum Taskforce.

The Taskforce was launched in 2021 and is a partnership between industry, government and funds from gum producers. It aims to curb anti-social littering and help local councils acquire cutting-edge cleaning equipment to boost street cleaning efforts.  

Using the latest technology, Bradford Metropolitan District Council plans to deploy specialist steam cleaners, and Cheshire Council will hire new specialists to undertake intensive cleaning in areas with high public footfall.   

Environment Minister Mary Creagh said: "Chewing gum litter is a stain on our communities. These grants, funded by gum producers, will empower local councils to tackle this issue head-on, delivering cleaner streets for all.

"This government is committed to ending our throwaway society. That is why we have already banned single-use vapes, and announced a crackdown on waste crime."

Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Keep Britain Tidy’s chief executive, said: "Chewing gum continues to be an unsightly form of litter in our public spaces – though thankfully the scheme is leading to significant reductions. People need to remember that disposing irresponsibly of their gum causes harm to our environment as it takes years to decompose naturally – and, ultimately, costs the public purse to clean it up."