I bumped into a colleague from environmental services this morning who was very animated about something he’d read… so much so that he sent me the link straight away.
I’d prepared myself to read about a new road sweeper that the council wouldn’t be able to afford but, no, my colleague was excited about chewing gum.
As many of you know, gum is (literally) a dirty word for anyone involved in street cleaning. The stuff plasters the streets of the UK and is unsightly… a streetscene tar spot if you will.
In the past, we’ve provided special gum bins and launched promotion campaigns to stop Joe Public ‘gobbing’ their gum on the pavement. Manufacturers supported responsible disposal and pledged to support work to create a biodegradable alternative… and now that moment has arrived.
Already on sale in the US, it is hoped that Rev7, designed at Bristol University in spearmint and peppermint flavours, will hit UK shops soon.
A biodegradable gum, it has the same taste and texture as normal gum, but is water soluble. Backers claim can be easily removed from clothes using soap and water.
Tests have showed that over 50 per cent can be removed by conventional street cleaning, rather than the specialist rigs currently used by councils.
Any gum washed into the drains will ‘degrade into minerals, biodegradable products and inert materials’.
Central to the gum is a less sticky polymer and the good news for councils does not end there. Other future applications could include anti-graffiti paint.
You can read more about Rev7 here
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