£10million blitz to get rid of the bubble gum staining our streets: Producers back fight to curb the chewing public's 'drop it' habit and clean up our walkways
Chewing gum producers have signed up to a £10million taskforce to remove the sticky scourge from our high streets. The cash pledge by Mars Wrigley, GlaxoSmithKline and Italian-Dutch multinational Perfetti Van Melle will help tackle the gum litter that costs £7million a year to remove from pavements. Working with Keep Britain Tidy, the firms will invest the money over the next five years to encourage people to bin it instead. Chewing gum wastes millions of pounds of taxpayers' money every year, with around 87 per cent of England's streets stained with it, according to Keep Britain Tidy. Pilot tests have shown that gum litter can be reduced by up to 64 per cent when people are asked to change their behaviour. Littering is a criminal offence and offenders face on-the-spot penalties of £150, rising to up to £2,500 if convicted in court. Pilot tests have shown that gum litter can be reduced by up to 64 per cent when people are asked to change their behaviour The Keep Britain Tidy i