Recycled Chewing Gum – a New Resource for the Tyre Industry?

We’re not sure about this one, however the BBC reports that a campaign soon to get underway in twelve regions throughout the UK will lead to used chewing gum seeing further life in tyres and other products. The broadcaster’s website for Hereford and Worcester states that the initiative being implemented in Hereford “aims to recycle chewing gum into car tyres, children toys and mobile phone covers.”

As part of the campaign, which runs from August 18 to September 15, special ‘Gumdrop’ bins will be placed at various locations around the city, and when full they will be taken away and recycled into a range of different items, the BBC says. Incidentally, errant Herefordians risk an £80 fine for not disposing of their chewing gum correctly.

“With statistics revealing that it costs the Government approximately £150m a year to remove 3.5 billion pieces of irresponsibly disposed of gum in the UK, it is important for Herefordshire Council to take positive steps towards helping reduce this amount,” Councillor John Jarvis, chair of Safer Herefordshire, told the BBC. “This is why we are so delighted to be working with Keep Britain Tidy and Gumdrop, and look forward to a successful campaign.”