Council tackles chewing gum litter hotspots as part of £1.2m national scheme

Keep Britain Tidy announced last month that 50 councils across the UK would share £1.2 million to tackle chewing gum litter, with Luton Council among the recipients. Work is now underway.

Three sites have been identified as priorities, chosen after officers assessed 22 locations across the town for gum density and footfall:

• Wigmore Lane shops parade
• Bute Street, by Hat Gardens
• Riddy Lane shops parade

Each location gets a three-day treatment. On day one, council officers speak to residents and use chalk spray to mark existing gum on the pavement, showing the true scale of the problem. On day two, specialist equipment is used to remove the gum. On day three, an eco-friendly, non-toxic solution is sprayed onto the pavement to stop gum sticking again in future.

New signage and bin stickers are also being introduced at each site, with simple, accessible messaging and animal designs on bins to encourage people to bin their gum rather than drop it. Local shops along each route have been offered window stickers to show their support.

Councillor Javeria Hussain, Cabinet Member for Public Realm and Sustainable Transport said: “Chewing gum is one of the most persistent and expensive types of litter to remove, and it’s something residents tell us really bothers them. This funding means we can clean up these hotspot areas properly and put prevention measures in place so the problem doesn’t just come back. It’s exactly the kind of practical action at the heart of our Getting It Done campaign – tackling issues that matter to residents and making a visible difference in our communities.”

If gum levels stay low in the months following each clean-up, the council intends to apply for further Keep Britain Tidy funding next year to expand the scheme to more locations across Luton.