Sefton Council has won £25,999 funding to tackle the sticky issue of chewing gum that blights communities. 

Target areas

Crosby, Litherland, Maghull, Waterloo, Formby and Ainsdale will be among new areas targeted by the initiative, in addition to work already done in the wider Southport and Bootle areas. 

Clean gum and change behaviour

Sefton successfully applied to the Chewing Gum Task Force administered by Keep Britain Tidy. Now in its fifth year, this is Sefton’s second successful award. The Task Force provides funds to be used to not only clean gum from pavements but also prevent it from being littered in the first place through the delivery of behavioural change campaigns. 

Tackling the issue

Cllr Peter Harvey, Cabinet Member for Cleansing and Street Scene, said:  
“Chewing gum on our streets is not only unsightly, it is unacceptable. Securing this funding for a second consecutive year means we can continue tackling the issue head-on, helping to make Sefton a cleaner and greener borough. 

“We’re pleased to be working once again with Keep Britain Tidy on this initiative, alongside our wider partnership work with them on tackling fly-tipping, supporting the Great British Spring Clean, and promoting campaigns like the Dog Poo Fairy.  

"Together, we share a strong commitment to improving Sefton for everyone and encouraging more responsible behaviour when it comes to litter in all its forms. 

“Thanks to this funding, we’ll target several hotspot areas across Sefton, such as town centres.” 

DEFRA and Keep Britain Tidy

The Chewing Gum Task Force grant scheme – established by DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) and run by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy – is open to councils across the UK who wish to clean up gum in their local areas and invest in long-term behaviour change to prevent it from being dropped in the first place.  

In the past four years, the Task Force has awarded grants worth a total of £6.46 million and funded the cleaning of over 4.15 million square metres of pavements.

Funded by gum manufacturers 

The Task Force is funded by major gum manufacturers including Mars Wrigley and Perfetti Van Melle, with an investment of up to £10 million spread over five years. 

Changing behaviour

Cllr Harvey continued: 
“Our Street Cleansing Team will be out in force using specialist chewing gum removal machines, which use eco-friendly detergents to break down gum quickly and effectively.  

"However, this initiative is about more than just cleaning up the gum. It’s about changing behaviour.  

“According to Keep Britain Tidy, around 77% of England’s streets and 99% of retail sites are stained with gum. Through clear signage and strong messaging, we aim to prevent the problem at source. By taking this proactive approach, in line with many other councils, we’re determined to create lasting change. 

“We’re confident that responsible Sefton residents who are proud of their neighbourhoods will see a real difference and we continue to urge everyone to do the right thing and dispose of chewing gum responsibly by using a bin.”  

Monitoring and evaluation carried out by Behaviour Change – a not-for-profit social enterprise – has shown that in areas that benefitted from funding, a reduced rate of gum littering of up to 86% was seen in the first two months. 

Reductions were still being observed six months after targeted street cleansing and the installation of specially designed signage to encourage people to bin their gum. 

Making a difference

Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Keep Britain Tidy’s Chief Executive, said:  
“While chewing gum litter remains a stubborn eyesore in our public spaces, the good news is that this scheme is already driving major improvements.  

“As an environmental charity, we know that every piece of gum dropped irresponsibly damages the environment, taking years to break down naturally, while also leaving taxpayers to foot the bill for costly clean-up operations.  

“Everyone in Sefton can play a part in creating cleaner, greener streets for all by binning their gum properly.”