Gum Recycling Sticks in the U.K.

How many times have you found gum stuck to the bottom of your shoe? Gum is a very popular confectionery. Whether it’s chewed to freshen breath, blow bubbles, help with smoking cessation or weight loss, of just for fun, it’s consumed by children and adults alike. However, unlike chocolates or other candies, chewing gum is not easily digestible and at some point looses its flavor – requiring that it be thrown away. Not everyone is conscientious about placing their used chewing gum in the trash and as a result those gooey, chewy pink gummy bits end up stuck to a shoe like glue!

However, a new chewing gum waste recycling program has begun at the Southampton Airport in England that is targeting gum chewers. The airport now has twenty-five pink containers that are for used for chewing gum recycling. The containers are emptied on a regular basis and the used gum is sold to be recycled into car tires, cell phone covers, and toys.

The Southampton Airport has over two million people travelers annually and would spend an average of five thousand dollar a year on chewing gum removal from floors, furniture, and walls. The airport hopes that the eye-catching containers will encourage travelers to properly dispose of their used chewing gum and reinforce the message that the airport is providing recycling opportunities to its patrons.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Instead of spending thousand of dollars on waste removal could you be saving, or earning, money with waste recycling? Whether it’s chewing gum or something else, take a look at where your business is spending money. You might find a green alternative!