Sefton Council Battles Chewing Gum Problem with new Government-backed Initiative

Chewing gum is being cleaned from streets across Sefton after the Council successfully bid for a government grant. 

Sefton received funding through the Chewing Gum Task Force, a scheme run by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy and supported by major gum manufacturers. The funding supports the removal of historic gum deposits and long-term work to prevent future gum litter. 

Cllr Peter Harvey, Cabinet Member for Cleansing and Street Scene, said:
“Our Street Cleansing Team is out across Sefton, using our specialist chewing gum removal machines. They use eco-friendly detergents to dissolve gum in seconds, as part of our pledge to keep Sefton cleaner and greener together. 

“Gum on our streets is unsightly and unpleasant, and we’re really pleased to be working in partnership with Keep Britain Tidy on this initiative. 

“As a Council, we are committed to creating a better borough for our communities and to changing behaviours around littering. But one thing remains the same, if people didn’t drop their gum on the ground, we wouldn’t need this machine.  

“We urge residents to do the right thing and put their gum in a bin.” 

The Chewing Gum Task Force was established by Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) and is delivered by Keep Britain Tidy. The scheme is funded by leading gum producers, including Mars Wrigley and Perfetti Van Melle.  

Chewing gum remains a costly challenge for local authorities. Councils across the UK spend an estimated £7 million each year cleaning gum from pavements. Keep Britain Tidy reports that 77% of England’s streets and 99% of retail sites are affected by gum staining. 

Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Keep Britain Tidy’s chief executive, said: 
“Chewing gum continues to be an unsightly form of litter in our public spaces – though thankfully the scheme is leading to significant reductions. People need to remember that disposing irresponsibly of their gum causes harm to our environment as it takes years to decompose naturally – and, ultimately, costs the public purse to clean it up.”  

Video with Cllr Harvey, Cabinet Member for Street Scene and Cleansing and Street Cleansing team at Sefton Council.