14-06-2025
No quibbles in Cork town as the Gum Litter Taskforce visits with its on-point message to 'bin it!'
The campaign is a collaboration between Food Drink Ireland, the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, the chewing gum industry, and local authorities to achieve a long-term sustainable solution to the irresponsible disposal of chewing gum litter.
Their visit to Macroom attracted members of Cork County Council, the local Tidy Towns, and green school committees from local primary schools St Colman's Boys NS and St Joseph's Girls NS.
It took place outside the Town Hall where Deputy Lord Mayor of County Cork Martin Coughlan said the initiative is very important as it teaches positive gum litter disposal.
'There are people that spit their gum on the ground and this campaign tries to emphasise that it is littering and they should be binned,' he said.
Mr Coughlan is also the Chairman of the Macroom Tidy Towns and he cited irresponsible littering of chewing gum, cigarette butts and disposable vape stickers are the 'bane of our lives' as committee members.
The taskforce reports that gum litter has reduced by almost 70% since 2007 and that 92% of people report properly disposing of their chewing gum.
However, according to the latest research one in 12 admit they still drop their gum on the ground, with men more than twice as likely to do so than women.
A fine of €150 can be issued if caught disposing of gum irresponsibly.
Michael O'Mahony runs the Green Schools Committee at St Joseph's Girls NS in Macroom, and he said the campaign is ideal for instilling good litter etiquette in children from a young age.
'Creating the habits of throwing the gum into the bin when you are younger means you don't need to learn it when you are older.
'The children gain a lot of responsibility from being a part of the Green Schools Committee and learning a lot about the environment,' he said.
Secretary of the Macroom Tidy Towns Lisa Manning said the children loved the event.
'You could see that the children loved it as there was a lot of games there, and they went home with goodies,' she said.
Ms Manning echoed Mr Coughlan's stance on gum littering and added:
'Gum litter wouldn't be as common as it used to be, but at the same time it still is a problem and it we need to be mindful with our litter,' she said.
Minister of State with responsibility for Circular Economy, Alan Dillon praised the continued success of the initiative:
'I'm delighted to kick off another year of the Gum Litter Taskforce's Summer Roadshow. Since 2007, we have seen clear, measurable change on our streets thanks to the work of the Gum Litter Taskforce.
'The consistent fall in gum litter shows that education and collaboration are driving real results. This is exactly the kind of behavioural change we need to build a cleaner, greener Ireland,' he said.
The roadshows will make 20 stops across 17 counties this summer. The Gum Litter Taskforce campaign also includes a school roadshow ('Bin It!') which will travel to primary and secondary schools across the country from October.
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