KIDDERMINSTER’S own chewing gum task force has been cleaning the town’s streets and ensuring those with the habit come unstuck.
Wyre Forest District Council has been working to clean up gum and reduce people littering their gum with help from a Chewing Gum Task Force grant by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy.
The task force has now completed its work to remove the chewing gum blighting local streets after receiving a £27,500 grant to tackle the issue earlier this year.
The Council was one of 52 across the country that successfully applied to the Chewing Gum Task Force for funds to clean gum off pavements and prevent further gum littering.
Over the past few months, the Council’s Street Cleansing team has removed gum from pavements around Kidderminster College.
Signage has also been installed in the town centre, which encourages people to bin their gum.
The Task Force is funded by major gum manufacturers, including Mars Wrigley and Perfetti Van Melle.
Established by Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) and run by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, the Chewing Gum Task Force Grant Scheme is open to councils across the UK who wish to clean up gum in their local areas and invest in long-term behaviour change to prevent gum from being dropped in the first place.
Coun Nathan Desmond, Wyre Forest District Council’s Cabinet Member for Operational Services said: “We were extremely grateful to receive grant funding for this clean-up project. The results have been fantastic and make a real difference to the town centre. Binning chewing gum is a small, easy behaviour change people can make which helps keep our streets clean and looking good for everyone.”
