Chewing Gum – Bin it Your Way

A CAMPAIGN to encourage people to dispose of their chewing gum responsibly will be taking place in Reading next week.

Members of the Council’s Neighbourhood Services team will be spreading the message of the national Chewing Gum Action Group’s ‘Bin it Your Way’ promotion around the borough all week. The team will be giving out information and free promotional goods at four locations through the week: · Tilehurst Triangle – Tuesday 2nd October, midday – 3pm · Reading Railway Station – Wednesday 3rd October, midday – 6pm · St Martin’s Precinct, Caversham – Thursday 4th October, midday – 3pm · St Laurence Church, Friar Street – Friday 5th October, 11am – 4pm The local campaign is being supported by Reading BID, Purple Turtle, Allied Arms and Network Rail.

Cllr Sophia James, Reading’s Lead Councillor for Neighbourhoods and Communities, said:

“Chewing gum dropped in the street looks unsightly and requires costly specialist machinery to clean it up. “I hope this campaign makes people think twice about how they dispose of their gum to help keep our town centre clean.” The Chewing Gum Action Group is supported by Keep Britain Tidy, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management and the chewing gum industry. ‘Bin It Your Way’ is an annual campaign which this year is being run across 86 councils across the UK. Last year, the average reduction in littered gum following the campaign, where measurement took place, was 66 per cent. ENDS