Gum chewers in Chesterfield have a fun new way to dispose of their chewing gum - they are being asked to ‘Stick em Up’ as part of a new initiative launched this week to reduce chewing gum litter on our streets.

Gum litter is a problem which is getting worse in the busiest public areas of Chesterfield as chewing gum sales increase.  Carelessly-discarded gum sticks firmly to pavements, takes five years to degrade and is difficult to remove. 

Now the Borough Council has launched a new initiative to reduce the mess caused by chewing gum.  Working with a firm called Meteora Ltd, eight GumTarget sites will be established in Burlington Street, Cavendish Street and Stephenson Place in the town centre

The GumTarget fastens to existing street furniture posts. Made from powder-coated steel, the GumTarget is covered with a printed GumSheet carrying various designs to capture the attention of gum chewers.

The GumTargets provide a convenient place to dispose of and stick used chewing gum.  Attracted by the fun designs, chewers can stick their gum to the sheet, defacing whichever design or character they want to, instead of dropping it on the floor, and it is later removed and disposed of.

The public can even use their gum to vote on issues like banning smoking in public spaces and whether they love or hate football.

Chesterfield Borough Council has been chosen as one of only 15 local authorities across Britain to receive cash for a major poster campaign against chewing gum litter.

Cllr Keith Morgan, the Borough Council's Lead Member for Environmental Services, said: "The GumTargets get to the cause of the problem, providing an attractive alternative to dropping used chewing gum.

"We’re really excited about this new initiative. We have worked with Meteora Ltd to understand the reasons why people drop used chewing gum and to identify the worst affected areas.  Other councils are benefiting from this innovative approach to preventing gum litter and we hope to see the same results.”

Ends

Press release issued: July 31 2006