A crackdown got under way in Cork, Dublin and Bray today to encourage people to bin used chewing gum in an effort to clean up the country's streets.
The new industry-backed Gum Litter Taskforce (GLT), established earlier this year, is working to aid councils in Dublin city, Cork city and Bray in Co Wicklow to roll out pilot campaigns to ensure used gum is disposed of responsibly.
Under the pilot programme which is being tested ahead of a national roll-out, people will be made more aware that litter louts will face stiff fines for spitting used gum onto the streets.
The Minister for the Environment Dick Roche
The Minister for the Environment Dick Roche said: "This Taskforce shows partnership in action. Spending more and more to clean up gum litter is not sustainable. We need to change the attitude and behaviour of people who do not dispose of their chewing gum responsibly."
The cost of cleaning chewing gum by special street-cleaning machines is estimated to amount to millions of euro across the State.
The three-month pilot campaign, based around the theme 'Thanks for binning your gum when you're done', will include outdoor advertising, in-store and around store advertising and greater awareness of enforcement of the €125 litter fines for irresponsible disposal of gum.
The taskforce working to aid the three councils in rolling-out the campaign includes members from the chewing gum industry, the Environment Department, local authorities, the Education Department and Retail Ireland.
Paul Kelly, chairman of the Gum Litter Taskforce, said: "This campaign is radial in tackling this form of litter in such a concerted and systematic way with government and industry working together to change attitudes.
"The Gum Litter Taskforce is an important initiative because it addresses the root cause of the problem rather than the symptom. Only by changing attitudes can we clean up our streets. The message from the Gum Litter Taskforce to the minority of people who dispose of gum irresponsibly is simple: 'Do the right thing and put it in the bin'."
The taskforce was established earlier this year after negotiations between Government officials and the Food and Drink Industry Ireland, on behalf of chewing gum manufacturers.
PA