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HomeDorset EastGreen Issues, Science, Conservation & Gardening - Dorset EastWhat Can Be Done About Chewing Gum in Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch?

What Can Be Done About Chewing Gum in Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch?

Chewing gum is set to be removed from some streets of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, thanks to funding provided by a national initiative.

BCP Council is among 52 councils across the country to have secured financial support from the Chewing Gum Task Force, now in its fourth year. The grants help councils clean chewing gum from pavements and invest in both immediate removal and long-term efforts to prevent gum littering in the first place.

Following the success of last year’s funding, which was widely welcomed, the council has now secured £27,500 to target new locations. These include Falkland Square and the high streets of Poole, Boscombe and Winton, where gum litter is a persistent problem.

Councillor Richard Herrett, Portfolio Holder for Destination, Leisure and Commercial Operations at BCP Council, said:

“This funding will help support our teams to keep town centres free from the unsightly blight of chewing gum. Businesses and residents have told us they want more to be done and it is great that we can work alongside Keep Britain Tidy to take action.

“Clearing gum isn’t simple – it requires specialist equipment – but the easiest solution is for residents and visitors to simply put their gum in the bins provided.”

Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Chief Executive of Keep Britain Tidy, added:
“Chewing gum continues to be an unsightly form of litter in our public spaces – though thankfully, the scheme is already leading to significant reductions.

“People need to remember that irresponsibly discarded gum can take years to decompose and ultimately costs the public money to remove.”

The Chewing Gum Task Force Grant Scheme, set up by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and managed by Keep Britain Tidy, is available to councils across the UK. It supports both clean-up operations and long-term behavioural change campaigns to stop gum being dropped in the first place. Major gum manufacturers, including Mars Wrigley and Perfetti Van Melle, have backed the scheme with a £10 million investment over five years.

While the funding and clean-up work are welcomed, the question remains:

What more can be done about chewing gum? Should there be tougher penalties, better public education, or even changes to the gum itself to make it biodegradable?

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