Gum litter campaign launched in Raheny

A CAMPAIGN has been launched with the aim of positively influencing people’s behaviour towards gum disposal.

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Richard Bruton, officially launched the Gum Litter Taskforce’s education campaign in Raheny Village

The Gum Litter Taskforce (GLT) has been successful to date in changing the public’s behaviour by encouraging correct gum disposal through a targeted education and awareness campaign. 

The 2018 campaign maintained an all-time-high of 93 percent of people stating that they regard chewing gum as litter, up from 74 percent when the campaign first began in 2007, pointing to the attitudinal impact which the campaign has had to date.

Research commissioned by the Gum Litter Taskforce and conducted by Kantar Millward Brown during the 2018 campaign has highlighted the campaign’s positive effect on people’s behaviour towards gum disposal. 

The latest results show that 88 percent of people said that they always dispose of their gum correctly, up from 54 percent when the campaign first began.

Speaking at the official launch of the 2019 campaign, Minister Bruton said: “Tackling gum litter is part of a much wider challenge – how we dispose of waste properly and use our resources effectively more generally. 

“Litter on our streets is a very tangible, visible example of the kind of damage that is being done. The GLT campaign has made great progress over the years in enacting positive behavioural and attitudinal change amongst the public when it comes to proper gum disposal, but more is required. Together, we must continue to work hard to tackle the issue of littered gum for the betterment of our environment.”