Specialist 'chewing gum' grant to tackle Cardiff litter problem
The grant will help clean up chewing gum from the city's streets and reduce the problem in the future
A £27,500 grant from the Chewing Gum Task Force, administered by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, is being used by Cardiff Council to help clean up chewing gum from the city's streets and reduce the problem in the future.
The funding will support a programme of work designed to make gum removal more effective and prevent gum from becoming embedded in the city’s pavements. This will include the purchase of specialist pavement sealant, spraying equipment and protective clothing for staff applying the treatment, as well contributing to the costs of staffing the work.
The sealant creates a protective layer on pavements, making it harder for chewing gum to stick to the surface while making it easier for street cleansing teams and road sweepers to remove.
The scheme aims to help councils clean gum from pavements:
Cllr Ed Stubbs, Cabinet Member for Frontline Services at Cardiff Council, said: "Chewing gum litter is a persistent issue that affects the appearance of our streets and can be costly and very difficult to remove. This funding will allow us to take practical action to tackle the problem while making it easier for our street cleansing crews to keep our pavements clean and tidy.
"While we are grateful to the Chewing Gum Task Force and Keep Britain Tidy for the grant funding, we would like to remind the public that we wouldn't have an issue with chewing gum on our streets if people disposed of their gum responsibly using the litter bins provided."
Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Chief Executive of Keep Britain Tidy, said: "While chewing gum litter remains a stubborn eyesore in our public spaces, the good news is that this scheme is already driving major improvements.
"As an environmental charity, we know that every piece of gum dropped irresponsibly damages the environment, taking years to break down naturally, while also leaving taxpayers to foot the bill for costly clean-up operations.
"Everyone in Cardiff can play a part in creating cleaner, greener streets for all by binning their gum properly."