Gum litter campaign 2018 launched

The Cathaoirleach of Cavan County Council Madeleine Argue has officially launched the Gum Litter Taskforce’s gum litter education campaign in Cootehill.

The Gum Litter Taskforce has been successful in changing the public’s behaviour by encouraging correct gum disposal through a targeted education awareness campaign.

The latest report of the National Litter Monitoring Pollution System has shown that the percentage of chewing gum as a proportion of litter dropped to 8% in 2017 from 15% in 2016.

Last year’s campaign maintained an all-time high of 93% of people stating that they regard chewing gum as litter, pointing to the attitudinal impact that the campaign has had since it first began.

Speaking at the launch, Cllr Argue said: “The Gum Litter Taskforce is a fantastic initiative for communities to get involved in. Each year, we see communities coming together with the common aim of reducing the level of littered gum within their respective localities. The campaign has achieved positive results to date in this regard and I hope this year’s campaign will continue to further build on those results.”