AS part of its summer roadshow campaign, the Gum Litter Taskforce has visited Macroom to promote positive gum litter disposal.
The taskforce is collaborating with Cork County Council to highlight the importance of proper litter disposal through fun education and awareness initiatives that highlight the negative environmental impacts of chewing gum litter and draw attention to the €150 gum litter fine.
The Gum Litter Taskforce is a collaboration between Food Drink Ireland, the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, the chewing gum industry, and local authorities to achieve a long-term sustainable solution to the irresponsible disposal of chewing gum litter.
The taskforce reports that gum litter has reduced by almost 70% since 2007 and that 92% of people report properly disposing of their chewing gum.
However, according to the latest research 1 in 12 admit they still drop their gum on the ground, with men more than twice as likely to do so than women.
County mayor Cllr Joe Carroll said: ‘We are pleased to welcome the Gum Litter Taskforce to Macroom. It is 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 the Gum Litter Taskforce, that promote responsible litter disposal behaviours, and result in cleaner communities.’
Launching the campaign, Minister of State with responsibility for Circular Economy, Alan Dillon praised the continued success of the initiative.
‘I’m delighted to kick off another year of the Gum Litter Taskforce’s summer roadshow. Since 2007, we have seen clear, measurable change on our streets thanks to the work of the Gum Litter Taskforce.
The consistent fall in gum litter shows that education and collaboration are driving real results. This is exactly the kind of behavioural change we need to build a cleaner, greener Ireland.’
The roadshows will make 20 stops across 17 counties this summer.
The Gum Litter Taskforce campaign also includes a school roadshow (Bin It!) which will travel to primary and secondary schools across the country from October.
For more information visit www.gumlittertaskforce.ie.
