Bristol City Council and Bristol Waste awarded funding to remove chewing gum on Bristol’s streets
We're tackling a sticky issue in Bristol!
In partnership with Bristol City Council, we launched a new campaign today to remove the chewing gum that blights local streets. Thanks to the Chewing Gum Task Force, this sticky problem will be a thing of the past!
Bristol City Council is one of 54 across the country that have successfully received a £27,500 grant to tackle the issue, clean gum off pavements and stop people dropping it in future.
The campaign focuses on 10,000sqm of footway in the city centre. Trained crews use specialised backpacks with eco-friendly, sugar-based cleaning fluid. The gum evaporates under intense heat, leaving no residue.
Stretching from Baldwin Street to Broadmead, chewing gum will be removed from high footfall areas, accompanied by signs on bins, bus stops and even the pavement reminding passersby to bin their gum.
“Chewing gum stains are not only unsightly but also attract further littering. Cleaner pavements and targeted signage will encourage passersby to respect our city and bin their gum. By focusing on chewing gum removal, we can keep this popular area of Bristol clean and vibrant for millions of residents and visitors, and stop people from getting gum stuck to their shoes.”
Councillor Martin Fodor, Chair of the Environment and Sustainability Committee at Bristol City Council
The campaign combines targeted street cleaning with specially designed signage to encourage people to bin their gum. In previous years, participating councils achieved reductions in gum littering of up to 60% in the first two months.
Monitoring and evaluation of previous campaigns shows that in areas that benefitted from the first year of funding, a reduced rate of gum littering was still being observed six months after clean-up and the installation of prevention materials.
Reduced chewing gum stains also have a knock-on effect on littering and other anti-social behaviour. Cleaner streets are more pleasant for everyone to enjoy and are a reminder to visitors that they can help maintain a clean and safe Bristol.
Stay tuned for updates on the campaign’s progress!
