‘Bin it your way’ hits home in Harrow.
New figures released by Harrow Council show that the amount of chewing gum on the borough’s streets has fallen a remarkable 70%, following a campaign targeting anti-social litterers.
The campaign, run by the Chewing Gum Action Group and supported by Harrow Council, encouraged chewers to bin gum ‘their way’ or face a big fine, in a series of colourful adverts on local streets and buses.
Surveys in ten areas of Harrow’s bustling town centre at the end of July, before the campaign was run, recorded an alarming 2,784 pieces of recently dropped or spat-out gum across a combined one-kilometre-square area.
The same survey conducted during September’s eye-catching campaign, found 892 pieces of recently littered gum on the street – still a lot, but nonetheless an incredible reduction of about 70%.
Cllr Graham Henson, who has Cabinet responsibility for the environment, said: “These fascinating findings show that it’s possible to challenge the thoughtlessness of some litterers and get results. Unfortunately, for others the message won’t hit home until they get stuck with a £75 fine.”
The Chewing Gum Action Group reports that 95% of UK streets are stained by chewing gum.
