The Gum Litter Taskforce (GLT) took to the streets of Laois today, to promote positive gum litter disposal.
As part of its Summer Roadshow campaign, the GLT collaborated with Laois County Council to promote the importance of proper litter disposal through fun education and awareness initiatives that highlight the negative environmental impacts of gum litter and draw awareness to the €150 gum litter fine.
A collaboration between industry, government and local authorities, and funded by Mars Wrigley, this year marks the launch of the campaign’s sixth cycle.
GLT has seen gum litter reduce by almost 70% since 2007, via a sustained public engagement and education campaign.
According to the latest National Litter Pollution Monitoring System data, gum now accounts for just 8.6% of all litter, continuing a downward trend in gum as a component of litter from 26.4% in 2006, and 9.1% in 2021, the end of the previous three-year cycle.
However, according to the latest research 1 in 12 admit that they still drop their gum on the ground – with men more than twice as likely to do so than women. This highlights the continued importance of the campaign.
Welcoming the campaign back to Laois, Suzanne Dempsey, Climate Action Coordinator and Energy Officer said: “We are delighted to welcome the Gum Litter Taskforce to Laois.
“It’s a great initiative that generates awareness of the negative impacts of gum litter in a fun and engaging way.
“As a Council, we are committed to working with campaigns such as GLT, that promote responsible litter disposal behaviours, and result in cleaner communities.”
Avril Donlon, Gum Litter Campaign Manager at Food Drink Ireland, added: “We are delighted to be kicking off another summer of interactive roadshows.
“Each year, we continue to see the positive impact this campaign is having on communities across the country.
“It’s encouraging to know that our efforts are helping more people make the right choice when it comes to gum disposal.”
Photo: Alf Harvey.
Photo: Alf Harvey. 
Photo: Alf Harvey.
Photo: Alf Harvey. 
Photo: Alf Harvey.
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