Brought to you by the Gum Litter Taskforce.
The past few years has seen some incredible progress when it comes to preventing gum litter.
With the weather heating up, we're all spending plenty more time outdoors. From creamy curbside pints, to walking coffee dates, our streets become particularly vibrant in the summer, so it's vital that they stay as free from litter as possible.
Gum litter, in particular, spoils our streets. Improperly discarded gum gets attached to pedestrian's shoes, while the remains of it leaves filthy marks on on the pavements, spoiling them for everyone else. What's more, those caught littering their gum may be fined €150.
However, in the past few years Ireland has made incredible progress when it comes to preventing gum litter thanks in a large part to the work of the Gum Litter Taskforce, whose ultimate mission is to make gum litter a thing of the past.
Thankfully, it looks like we're on the right trajectory, as gum litter has seen a steep reduction since 2007. In this time, gum litter on our streets has reduced from 26.4% to 8.6%, with 87% of people saying that they properly dispose of their gum litter versus 49% of people when the campaign started out.
What's more, the Gum Litter Taskforce quizzed individuals on why they choose not to litter, and for the majority, peer pressure is the main thing that prevents them. 58% of those surveyed said that they are conscious of what their friends of family would think about their littering. 50%, meanwhile, said that they avoid littering their gum because of the €150 fine, while 49% said that they dispose of their gum properly because in the past, they have stood on gum themselves. Another big reason many people don't litter is because they saw the Gum Litter Taskforce campaign.
Indeed, there are so many reasons to properly dispose of your gum when you're done, and as we look forward to a future without gum litter, we're offering one reader a €150 One4All voucher. To be in with a chance of winning, click the embedded Instagram post below and follow the instructions.
