Campaign sees drop in gum litter on Carmarthenshire streets

 

THERE has been a 59 per cent reduction in chewing gum litter on the streets of Carmarthenshire.

Carmarthenshire County Council was the only Welsh authority chosen to take part in the Chewing Gum Action Group (CGAG) campaign.

Supported by Tidy Towns, the aim was to encourage people to put their chewing gum in the bin and make them aware that if they didn’t they could get fined £75.

Held during August and September, it was launched by Assembly Minister for the Environment, Sustainability and Housing Jane Davidson.

It took place at the Apollo cinema in St Catherine’s Walk where the council’s cinema advert on litter was screened and then there were lots of activities in Guildhall Square. It included singing and dancing from the Gregory Brothers, who had written a song especially for the campaign, along with Eco Eli, the council’s eco-friendly elephant. The Scarlets’ Ken Owens was there to sign autographs, there was face painting and other fun and games, and pupils from Amman Valley Comprehensive School were giving out free gum-wraps.

Ten chewing gum ‘hotspots’ in Carmarthen, Llanelli and Ammanford town centres were identified and monitored during, before and after the campaign which showed that the message stuck – with a 59 per cent reduction of gum on the streets.

Director of technical services Richard Workman said: “I am delighted with the results of the campaign which have a showed a significant reduction in chewing gum litter on the streets of Carmarthenshire.

“This means the campaign was a great success and the message got through. I just hope it continues. We don’t want to fine people; we just want people to think about the environment they live in and to consider others by putting their litter in the bin. If they don’t, however, then we have no choice but to take action against them.”

Not only is it an eyesore but chewing gum can stick to people’s clothes and shoes and it is difficult and costly to clean up – in fact it costs the council more than £30,000 a year to remove chewing gum from the streets of Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford.

Executive board member for the environment Councillor Philip Hughes said: “We are well on our way to achieving a cleaner, more attractive community. We will continue to work with our partners to raise awareness of litter and its consequences to try and improve the quality of the environment in Carmarthenshire for both residents and visitors.”

More Info:

1.     The Chewing Gum Action Group is chaired by Defra and brings together representatives from the chewing gum industry, Keep Britain Tidy, the Local Government Association (LGA), the Chartered Institute of Wastes Management, Keep Scotland Beautiful, Scottish Government, The Welsh Assembly Government and the Food and Drink Federation.

2.     The chewing gum industry is working closely with Government and other partners to tackle the problem of chewing gum litter through the Chewing Gum Action Group. Industry has committed an annual sum of £700,000 to the Chewing Gum Action Group. As a key member of the Action Group, the chewing gum industry also provides additional support on a rolling basis which is not calculated as part of this figure.

3.     Local Authorities that have not been selected for paid-for campaigns can still use the campaign creative if they choose to do so.

4.     Campaign partners receive paid-for advertising and support from the group to help reduce chewing gum litter in their local environments. This includes free pre and post campaign workshops to equip partners with the information and resources needed, a dedicated co-ordinator to provide advice throughout the campaign process, and the option to promote their campaign as a case study on the Chewing Gum Action Group website: www.chewinggumactiongroup.org.uk

5.     More information on the group, past campaigns and research can be found at www.chewinggumactiongroup.org.uk

6.     Chewing gum was explicitly defined as litter under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005. The offence of dropping litter can lead to a maximum fine of £2,500 after summary conviction. A Local Authority can offer a person found to be littering a fixed penalty notice as an alternative (for a first offence).

7.     The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 gave greater powers and flexibility to local authorities to enforce against local environmental offences. The Fixed Penalty Notice level for litter can now be locally set between the £50 and £80. Fine amounts vary between Wales, Scotland and England due to separate national legislations. In Scotland, fines of up to £50 can be issued for littering under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. In Wales under Section 88 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, fines are set at a local level between £75 and £150 with a default of £75. Those authorised to issue fixed penalty notices must meet training and competence requirements.

8.     Previous campaigns have been very successful. The average percentage reduction in deposits of gum litter in 2009 was 48% overall, and 43% in 2008. The following individual gum litter reduction results were achieved in 2009: Aylesbury Vale District Council 24%, Corby Borough Council 64%, Croydon BID 70%, Peterborough City Council 95%, South Bucks District Council 84%, Southwark Council 39%, Sunderland City Council 77%, Trafford Council 16%, Wigan Council 27%, Wolverhampton City Council 51%, Charnwood Borough Council 21%, Rochdale MBC 87%.

9.     For further information please contact Stephanie brunyee at The Food & Drink Federation, via stephanie.brunyee@fdf.org.uk or tel: 0207 420 7202 Or the LGA via: media.office@lga.gov.uk or tel: 0207 664 3333

 

CAPTION: Pictured at the launch are Assembly Environment, Sustainability and Housing Minister Jane Davidson with the Gregory Brothers, Scarlets star Ken Owens and Eco Eli.