| The littering of chewing gum has always been a | | | | intimidating members of the public. It's quite the |
| problem in the UK. You can't walk 50 metres without | | | | predicament. |
| seeing white blobs cover the pavement. It's unsightly; | | | | Many people agree the best thing to do is recruit a |
| it degrades the area, and it continues to harm the | | | | chewing gum removal company - a group of |
| environment for up to 25 years of it being discarded. | | | | specialists who use proper gum removal equipment in |
| So why do people do it? Is it down to group think? | | | | practices such as pavement impregnation and |
| Do people think one more blob on the pavement | | | | jet-washers. Organisations such as Defra agree this is |
| won't matter? Or could people not care less about | | | | the best solution for reducing instances of chewing |
| the cleanliness of their streets? Perhaps younger | | | | gum litter, and in some instances it has been a |
| people are not educated enough - they just don't | | | | successful endeavour. The clean-up operation of |
| realise the harm they're doing to our streets. Luckily | | | | Trafalgar Square cost a mere £8,500, vastly |
| local councils are aware of this, and more and more | | | | improving the beauty and richness of the area whilst |
| ad campaigns detailing the issue crop up every year. | | | | increasing its amount of tourism and commerce. |
| The problem is at large, and unfortunately the | | | | Indeed, these specialist companies are involved in a |
| solution is not outlined in bold. Singapore's government | | | | wide variety of street cleaning campaigns. Eliminating |
| attempted to ban chewing gum back in 1992, | | | | not just chewing gum but any instance of urban |
| however this was relaxed ten years later as part of | | | | decay, including unsightly graffiti and other forms of |
| a trade deal with the US. Meanwhile some areas in | | | | vandalism. Using the very best in street cleaning |
| the UK have introduced on-the-spot fines of | | | | equipment these specialists are able to make any |
| £50 for litterers. To an extent this has | | | | area of decline beautiful again, whether it be a public |
| worked, with 400 people last year being prosecuted | | | | area such as a train station or children's playground to |
| for littering in the streets. However on the flipside | | | | a more private or business area plagued by vandalism |
| this endeavour costs more money for the council, | | | | and deprivation. |
| and could even discourage tourism for the area, | | | | |