Chewing Gum Manufacturers Held Accountable for Mess

First the British government created a plan to make cigarette manufacturers responsible for cigarette butt litter. Now the government has turned its focus on chewing gum manufacturers, Environment reports.

“The stains of discarded chewing gum are a blight on our communities, spoiling our streets and wasting millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money,” said Environment Minister Rebecca Pow.

Wrigley’s, Nicotinell, and Big Babol bubble gum have pledged to invest US$13.6 million over the next five years to help remove gum litter from the United Kingdom’s streets.

Approximately 87% of England’s streets are stained with gum and councils spend $9.5 million a year cleaning it off, according to charity Keep Britain Tidy. Previous pilots of “gum behavioral interventions” have reduced gum littering by up to 64%.

As littering is a criminal offense, the British government has already empowered local authorities by increasing on-the-spot monetary penalties for offenders to $204, rising to up to $3,400 if convicted in court.

The chewing gum makers involved will also work to advise their fellow manufacturers on how they can help reduce gum littering and share their research in on gum clean up methods, anti-littering education, and gum biodegradability.