You could be fined up to £75 if you do not dispose of your gum in a bin.
Chewing gum is a very difficult type of litter to deal with, because it is so sticky and takes up to five years to biodegrade.
Normal cleaning methods like street sweeping and litter picking do not work, so we have to resort to more extreme methods like jet washing to remove it.
This can cost a lot of money — Keep Britain Tidy reports that it can cost up to £1.50 per square metre to clean up chewing gum.
Chewing Gum Action group campaign
To raise awareness of chewing gum litter in the city and urge residents to dispose of their gum responsibly, we have partnered with the Chewing Gum Action Group (CGAG) to challenge consumer behaviour and support the group’s annual drive to tackle the problem of gum litter in the UK.
The CGAG campaign, now in its sixth year, works with councils to develop local initiatives to reduce levels of chewing gum litter.
During September 2011 the CGAG’s advertising was displayed across the city, to remind residents to bin their gum or risk receiving a fine of up to £75.We were one of 12 local authorities that signed up to the 2011 campaign. Figures show that local authorities involved with the CGAG advertising programme see their gum litter reduced by an average of 43 per cent.
Contact
To report littering, complete our online form, email streetenforcement@cambridge.gov.uk or telephone 01223 458282.
Litter
It is a criminal offence to leave litter, which includes gum. A person is guilty of the offence if they throw down, drop or otherwise deposit and then leave any litter in or on land which is open to the air, including private land and land covered by water.
For more information on litter fixed penalty notices please read the littering webpage.
