Donegal asked to ‘chews’ to bin their gum

By Paul McElwee

WITH chewing gum a common sight on pavements in towns all across the county, taskforce designed to raise awareness on the proper means for gum disposal has been on the streets.

The Gum Litter Taskforce (GLT) works with local authorities and communities across the country, carrying out fun and engaging awareness and education initiatives on the environmental and fiscal impacts of gum litter.

Now in its seventeenth year, the campaign is collaboration between Food Drink Ireland, the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, the chewing gum industry, and local authorities.

Findings from the GLT show that one in seven people continue to drop their gum on the ground, with the national awareness campaign aiming to make gum litter an issue of the past.

A breakdown of the data shows 19 per cent of men and nine per cent of women are guilty of improper gum disposal.

The GLT 2023 campaign had a positive impact on both attitudes and behaviour regarding gum disposal, showing that a change is coming, with a five per cent increase in those reporting ‘always’ or ‘usually’ putting their chewed gum in the bin, bringing the figure to a record high of 92 per cent.

The latest results of the National Litter Pollution Monitoring report (2022) also reflect this behavioural change, showing a continuous decline of percentage of gum as a proportion of litter at 8.6 per cent.

Additionally, the research also found that the biggest deterrent of gum litter is peer pressure. However, 1 in 4 of state they have changed their behaviour as a result of the educational messaging from the Bin-it campaign, with 16 per cent of young people reported having stopped the habit of ‘dropping or spitting’ gum, highlighting the continued impact of the GLT.

Welcoming the Roadshow to Donegal, Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council Councillor Niamh Kennedy said: “We are delighted to welcome the Gum Litter Taskforce to Donegal and Letterkenny. It is a great initiative that helps to educate and inform the people of Donegal of the negative impacts of gum litter on our local community. Donegal County Council places a strong emphasis on improving the cleanliness of our towns and villages and we are pleased to support the Gum Litter Taskforce campaign. The reduction of gum litter in recent years is a testament to the success of the campaign and we look forward to seeing the progressive positive change the campaign brings in years to come.”

Gum Litter Taskforce Executive, Avril Donlon of Food Drink Ireland, said: “We are delighted to launch the 2024 Gum Litter Taskforce campaign, with the support of the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications. The results of the campaign are evident, and we are thrilled that 1 in 4 people state the GLT campaign as the reason for deterring them from littering gum. Last year we delivered significant results, with a record number of schools participating in the Bin It! Education programme, and we really look forward to what the 2024 campaign has in store.”

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