A Cumbrian council has been awarded £25,000 to remove chewing gum from its streets.
Cumberland Council is one of 56 across the country that have successfully applied to the Chewing Gum Task Force, now in its second year, for funds to clean gum off pavements and prevent it from being littered again.
Established by Defra and run by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, the grant scheme 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 gum from being dropped in the first place.
The task force is funded by major gum manufacturers including Mars Wrigley and Perfetti Van Melle.
Monitoring and evaluation carried out by Behaviour Change has shown that in areas that benefited last year a reduced rate of gum littering is still being observed six months after clean-up and the installation of prevention materials.
Cumberland Councillor Denise Rollo, executive member for sustainable, resilient and connected places, said: “Chewing gum on pavements is not only unsightly but expensive to clean up and this grant will help us to tackle the problem.
“One of our primary objectives is to raise awareness among visitors and residents alike, about the importance of disposing of chewing gum responsibly. We kindly request all individuals to refrain from littering gum on our pavements, and instead, place it in a bin or take it home with them.
“We value the beauty of our outstanding area and want to preserve it for future generations. By working together and adhering to responsible gum disposal practices, we can ensure that our pavements remain clean, visually appealing, and free from unsightly gum spots.”
