Task force aims to stamp out gum litter in Waterford

Moves were made recently to highlight  the issue of gum litter been strewn around the streets of Waterford and steps were taken to address the issue.

The Gum Litter Taskforce (GLT) took to the streets of the city as part of its Summer Roadshow initiative.

The interactive roadshow works with local authorities and communities across the country to carry out fun and engaging education and awareness initiatives, that demonstrate the proper means of gum disposal.

It also works at raising awareness of the environmental and fiscal impacts of gum litter. The initiative is now in its 17th year, the campaign is a collaboration between between Food Drink Ireland, the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, the chewing gum industry, and local authorities.

Welcoming the Roadshow to Waterford, Deputy Mayor of Waterford City and County, Councillor Adam Wyse expressed delight in having the opportunity to welcome the roadshow back to the city and county.

"As Ireland’s cleanest city, we support this initiative, that educates and informs people about the detrimental effects of improper gum disposal," said Cllr  Wyse.

"Waterford City and County Council’s Environment department has worked closely with local communities, business groups and volunteer clean-up groups to ensure that Waterford remains an attractive place to live, work and visit," he added.

Cllr Wyse went on to highlight how a general reduction in the problem was a testament to the success of the initiative to-date resulting in some significant improvements with regard to people's behaviour.

"The reduction in gum litter is a testament to the campaign and to the changing attitudes of the people of Waterford and we are looking forward to seeing further progress with the reintroduction of this campaign," he said.

One in seven people continue to drop their gum on the ground, according to new findings from the GLT, which is a national awareness campaign aiming to make gum litter an issue of the past. 

That figure accounts for 19 per cent of men and 9 per cent of women, showing a higher tendency in men to not properly dispose of their gum.

However, attitudes towards gum litter continue to change, as children are educated on the negative environmental and fiscal impacts of gum litter. 

The GLT 2023 campaign had a positive impact on both attitudes and behaviour regarding gum disposal, with a 5 per cent increase in those reporting ‘always’ or ‘usually’ putting their chewed gum in the bin, bringing the figure to a record high of 92 per cent. 

The latest results of the National Litter Pollution Monitoring report (2023) also reflected that behavioural change, showing a continuous decline of percentage of gum as a proportion of litter at 8.6 per cent.

Ella Ryan, Environmental Awareness Officer with Waterford City and County Council said: "Waterford City and County Council fully backs the Gum Litter Taskforce and will continue to introduce new environmental awareness initiatives in addition to those that have generated a seismic shift in how we discard our rubbish, such as Cigarette Butt Ballot bins, Bring Banks Sensor bins, the Schools Litter Challenge and the Bag It Bin It campaigns.” 

This year’s campaign will see representatives from the Gum Litter Taskforce working with local authorities and communities to carry out education and awareness initiatives demonstrating the proper means of gum disposal and raise awareness of the environmental and fiscal impacts of improper disposal.