Gum litter taskforce takes to the streets of Cork town

The Gum Litter Taskforce took to the streets of Fermoy this week as a part of its summer roadshow.

The interactive roadshow works with local authorities and communities across the country to carry out engaging education and awareness initiatives.

These initiatives demonstrate the proper means of gum disposal and raise awareness of the environmental and fiscal impacts of gum litter.

Now in its sixteenth year, the campaign is a collaboration between Food Drink Ireland, the chewing gum industry, and local authorities.

Welcoming the roadshow to Fermoy, Mayor of the County of Cork Cllr Frank O’Flynn said: “We are delighted to welcome back the Gum Litter Taskforce to Cork County. 

"The roadshow is a fantastic way to show people about the importance of disposing of gum litter responsibly.

“This campaign has seen a visible reduction of gum litter on our streets since it first began, and the roadshow is an important reminder to the whole community that we must continue to reduce our litter and protect our environment.”

Research published recently to coincide with the national launch of the 2023 Gum Litter Taskforce campaign revealed that 87% of people now report proper gum disposal.

This is compared to just 9% when the campaign began in 2007.

The increase of 77.5%, demonstrates the positive impact the campaign has had on attitudes towards gum litter.

Peer pressure was found to be the key contributor to this shift in attitudes, followed by knowledge of the €150 fine.

However, work remains to be done to further reduce this figure, as only 46% of people can still claim to have never dropped gum on the ground, demonstrating the continued importance of the awareness and behavioural change campaign.

Speaking at the launch of this year’s roadshow, Minister Ossian Smyth welcomed the latest research and said:

“Each cycle of the campaign has delivered demonstrable progress in reducing gum litter on our streets, showing the impact that cross-collaborative initiatives such as this one can have.”