Gunning for the gum
January 1st 2006 Chewing gum is becoming Public Enemy No 1 in the bid to keep Britain tidy.
Cleaning Specialist looks at a popular solution to a sticky problem...
Chewing Gum has become one of the most offensive nonrecoverable items of litter in public places and now presents one of the UK's biggest public cleansing problems. Schools suffer a range of property related cleansing problems. As lots of young people chew gum, its waste is often at a high level in playgrounds and on pavements. Hospitals generate significant vehicle and pedestrian traffic and this results in high levels of waste, litter and of course chewing gum pollution. It is likely that more people are chewing in hospitals as no-smoking bans take effect.
UK gum sales alone are worth an estimated £258m a year. The cost to maintain public and private facilities free of discarded chewing gum is £150m. Currently the annual clean-up cost across London is estimated at around £4m, with half of that spent removing gum from London Underground trains and stations.
The first national 'gum summit', held in London earlier this year, called for a penny-a-packet tax on gum. It discussed fears that proposed changes to litter laws being debated in the House of Commons could lead to the reclassification of gum as litter and increase the burden on councils to deal with it.
The Liberal Democrats also called for chewing gum packaging to display anti-litter messages and for the development of a biodegradable gum, though chewing gum manufacturer Wrigley's investment of £5m on research so far into this solution has met without success to date.
Lib Dem London Assembly member and environment spokesman Mike Tuffrey said: "Chewing gum that is irresponsibly spat on to the street is a nuisance, an eyesore and costing taxpayers millions each year to clean up. If we can get a man on the moon and a probe to Mars, I'm sure we can find a way of producing gum that degrades."
A spokeswoman for the Biscuit, Cake, Chocolate and Confectionery Association said a campaign would be launched this year "to persuade people to dispose of their gum responsibly". But she added that the industry opposed a tax that would make consumers think that they had paid for the right to discard gum.
Chewing Gum has become one of the most offensive nonrecoverable items of litter in public places and now presents one of the UK's biggest public cleansing problems. Schools suffer a range of property related cleansing problems. As lots of young people chew gum, its waste is often at a high level in playgrounds and on pavements. Hospitals generate significant vehicle and pedestrian traffic and this results in high levels of waste, litter and of course chewing gum pollution. It is likely that more people are chewing in hospitals as no-smoking bans take effect.
UK gum sales alone are worth an estimated £258m a year. The cost to maintain public and private facilities free of discarded chewing gum is £150m. Currently the annual clean-up cost across London is estimated at around £4m, with half of that spent removing gum from London Underground trains and stations.
The first national 'gum summit', held in London earlier this year, called for a penny-a-packet tax on gum. It discussed fears that proposed changes to litter laws being debated in the House of Commons could lead to the reclassification of gum as litter and increase the burden on councils to deal with it.
The Liberal Democrats also called for chewing gum packaging to display anti-litter messages and for the development of a biodegradable gum, though chewing gum manufacturer Wrigley's investment of £5m on research so far into this solution has met without success to date.
Lib Dem London Assembly member and environment spokesman Mike Tuffrey said: "Chewing gum that is irresponsibly spat on to the street is a nuisance, an eyesore and costing taxpayers millions each year to clean up. If we can get a man on the moon and a probe to Mars, I'm sure we can find a way of producing gum that degrades."
A spokeswoman for the Biscuit, Cake, Chocolate and Confectionery Association said a campaign would be launched this year "to persuade people to dispose of their gum responsibly". But she added that the industry opposed a tax that would make consumers think that they had paid for the right to discard gum.
Gum pollution ('gumfitti') has created the need for solvents and gum-removal devices. Prochem's answer to the problem is the patented Prochem Bazooka, a chewing gum removal machine that is not only effective but easier on the cleaner as it lets you do the job standing up. With the Bazooka, cleaners can instantly remove spot after spot of ground-in gum, sticky sweets and adhesive from carpets, hard floors and concrete.
It should be used in conjunction with Prochem's specially formulated A401Bazooka Spot Remover Aerosol, a volatile solvent aerosol, clear in colour and citrus-based. Note that this should not be used on carpet or tiles with bitumen or heavy latex backings. To operate, insert the Bazooka Aerosol into the plastic can holder and connect to the unit.
For hard and compacted gum deposits, perforate these firstly with a fork or the Prochem Perforator Block to allow penetration of the solvent. Hold the machine just above the gum and press the aerosol dispenser to apply the solvent to the surface of the gum from the red outlet tube. Allow 2 to 5 minutes for the solvent to penetrate and soften the gum. Failure to allow this dwell time may result in excessive use of solvent, damage to carpets or ineffective results. Position the Bazooka's brush unit directly over the softened gum. Apply power and pressure for 1 or 2 seconds only. Inspect the gum, then repeat the action until the gum is completely dispersed. Take care not to apply the brush action continuously for more than 1 or 2 seconds and always ensure that the gum is lubricated with solvent to avoid damage to carpet fibres. Finally, apply a carpet pre-spotter such as S709 Multi Pro to the area of dispersed gum in order to emulsify the gum and solvent residues. The carpet should be tested first for fibre and dye reaction in an inconspicuous area prior to the use of any product. The area treated should then be rinsed and blotted or extraction cleaned to remove all traces of residue.
There are three types of brush heads depending on the surfaces to be treated.
The standard Blue Spot is ideal for use on carpets, linoleum and tiles. The Professional brush - Brown Spot - is for use on hardwearing carpets and heavy tiles such as quarry tiles. The concrete brush or Green Spot is ideal for use on concrete, stone slabs, patios etc.
Bazooka sales are growing year on year as specifiers in both commercial and public sector markets, according to Prochem's Paul Robinson. "There is increasing uptake in its use with the recognition that gum is a problem that's not going to just go away," he says.
"Short of legislating against it, or the threat of high fines for polluting with it, effective and fast removal systems like the Bazooka are the solution to the gum litter."solution to the gum litter."
More articles from Prochem Europe Ltd: | 
