Northampton Borough Council – Creating a chewing-gum free town

Northampton Borough Council is encouraging people to enjoy and dispose of chewing gum responsibly.

Neighbourhood wardens, park rangers and members of the community safety team will be in the Market Square on Wednesday, 25 October talking about the need to keep our town clean as well as the various community projects taking place around the borough.

They’ll be giving out information about Keep Britain Tidy’s Chewing Gum Action Group which focuses on creating a cleaner, gum-free environment for everyone.

Chewing gum is one of the most common forms of litter and in 2015 the Local Government Authority estimated that clearing chewing gum costs the average town centre £60,000 per year.

Councillor Mike Hallam, cabinet member for the environment, said: “Chewing gum dropped in the street is unsightly and unhygienic, it can also have a lasting effect on the environment as the majority of gums are not biodegradable.

“Removing it is costly and time consuming as the regular cleaning methods don’t pick it up, so the best way to keep our streets clean is to avoid gum being dropped in the first place.

“We need everyone who lives and works in Northampton to take pride in our town and help us to keep it clean and safe by disposing of litter and chewing gum responsibly. Please use the bins provided to get rid of your gum.”