Getting to grips with a very sticky issue
WEXFORD has tightened its grip on a sticky issue with the launch of the 2016 Gum Litter Taskforce (GLT) gum litter education campaign by county council chairman Tony Dempsey. The campaign has seen huge success so far with the National Litter Pollution Monitoring System results showing an overall decrease in people dropping gum from 26% when the campaign started in 2007, to 11% in the latest results. The results of the attitudinal research carried out by Millward Brown on behalf of the GLT during the 2015 campaign saw the highest numbers to date reporting they never drop gum. This is the second year of the latest campaign, the result of a new agreement between the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government and Food and Drink Industry Ireland (FDII) representing the gum industry, to fund a national gum litter awareness programme from 2015-2017. ‘It’s wonderful to see everyone in the community coming together to get behind this campaign, both here in Wexford and in so many towns around the country.’ ‘ The GLT campaign brings together the community and local authorities with a common goal to fight gum litter,’ said Cllr Dempsey. Paul Kelly, Chairman of the GLT said the main goal of the campaign had always been to reduce the amount of gum litter and change people’s behaviour towards littering. The GLT includes representatives of the chewing gum industry, the Department of the Environment, civic society and local authorities.