Chewing gum removal project across 10 shopping parades in Watford funded by the Chewing Gum Task Force Grant Scheme.
By Rebecca Flint
••3 min read
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Generic image of discarded chewing gum on a wet pavement in a town centre.
Watford Borough Council has successfully completed a chewing gum removal project across 10 shopping parades, enhancing the cleanliness of public spaces.
Residents and visitors in Watford are now benefiting from cleaner and more welcoming shopping areas following a project funded by the Chewing Gum Task Force Grant Scheme. The initiative, supported by Veolia, saw chewing gum removed from approximately 5,718m² of public space and around 1km of pavement across the town.
Watford Borough Council secured funding for three consecutive years from the scheme, administered by Keep Britain Tidy, totalling almost £25,000. Chewing gum is a significant litter problem in the UK, costing councils an estimated £7 million annually to remove. Statistics from Keep Britain Tidy indicate that around 77% of England’s streets and 99% of retail sites are stained with chewing gum.
This year's project expanded the council's previous efforts, focusing on 10 shopping parades. Veolia carried out the specialist cleaning work in various locations, including The Brow, Haines Way, Horseshoe Lane, North Approach, Orbital Crescent, Garden Park Parade, St Albans Road, The Gossamers, Bushey Mill Lane, Goodwood Parade, Courtlands Drive, and Foxhill.
In addition to the removal, Veolia supported an anti-littering campaign with new signs installed across the area to encourage responsible disposal of chewing gum. Local businesses at the affected parades were also asked to display “Bin Your Gum” stickers.
The Chewing Gum Task Force Grant Scheme, established by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and run by Keep Britain Tidy, is funded by Mars Wrigley and Perfetti Van Melle. It aims to clean up gum litter and promote long-term behaviour change.
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"Keeping our streets clean and welcoming is important for residents, businesses and visitors. We’re pleased to have secured funding for a third-year running, by cleaning up chewing gum and encouraging people to put it in the bin, we’re all playing out part to help improve our town and keep Watford looking its best."
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"As Watford Council’s recycling, waste collection and street cleansing partner, we are committed to keeping Watford clean and welcoming. This campaign gave our street cleansing teams the chance to go beyond their usual work by using specialist equipment to remove chewing gum, while our Educations, Communications and Outreach team engaged with businesses to display signage in their shop windows. By combining gum removal with education, we can help maintain these improvements and empower the community to keep Watford clean and green for everyone."
The council is urging residents and visitors to support the campaign by disposing of their chewing gum in bins, contributing to cleaner shopping areas and reducing environmental harm.
