Cathaoirleach says no more litter, by gum!

THE new cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, Cllr Ossian Smyth officially declared war on gum litter as he launched the Gum Litter Taskforce’s education campaign in Cabinteely Park last week.

Representatives from Cabinteely Tidy Towns and children from the local St Brigid’s School were also at the event that marks the campaign’s attempts to change the public’s behaviour by encourging correct gum disposal through education and awareness.

The Gum Litter Taskforce (GLT) has been successful to date as the latest report of the National Litter Monitoring Pollution System has shown that the percentage of chewing gum as a proportion of litter dropped to eight per cent in 2017 from 15 per cent  in 2016.

Last year’s campaign maintained an all-time high of 93 per cent of people stating that they regard chewing gum as litter, pointing to the impact that the campaign has had since it first began.

Speaking at the launch, Cllr Smyth said: “The Gum Litter Taskforce is a fantastic initiative for communities to get involved in. Each year, we see communities coming together with the common aim of reducing the level of littered gum within their respective localities. The campaign has achieved positive results to date in this regard, and I hope this year’s campaign will continue to further build on those results.”

Paul Kelly, Chairman of the GLT added: “Each year, our campaign endeavours to educate people on the proper manner in which to dispose of their used gum. Beginning in 2007, the campaign has seen sustained and marked progress in changing people’s attitudes to littered gum which has in turn positively impacted upon behavioural patterns when it comes to gum disposal. As ever, we are committed to continuing efforts to eradicate gum from our streets entirely.

 The 2018 campaign is the first in a three-year cycle which commenced on foot of a negotiated agreement between the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment and Food Drink Ireland (FDI).

Dublin City and South Dublin County Councils are also involved.