Reply To: 500 tons of chewing gum

I certainly hope we don’t go down the route some UK towns took recently of erecting boards on lamposts on which to stick your gum. I never heard of anything more disgusting, boards at eye-level laden with knobs of manky gum.

The plastic bag levy was succcessful because of alternatives to the plastic bags but people aren’t necessarily going to give up gum if it’s overpriced. I think a tax that is just sufficient to cover the cost of cleaning is appropriate, and that the money be ringfenced. As much as I’d like to see the stuff got rid of, I don’t think it’s fair the rest of us be penalised for the actions of such ignorant users.

It’s interesting though – has anyone actually ever seen anyone throw or spit gum on the ground? It’s extraordinary how much of the stuff there is down there and yet you never see people do it!