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PRESTON City Council is installing new GumTargets in the Friargate area of the city as part of its ongoing campaign to tackle chewing gum litter. The GumTargets, which are rectangular boards featuring colourful graphics and anti-litter messages, are designed to encourage people to stick their chewing gum to them instead of dropping it on the pavement. A total of 20 GumTargets are being fixed to lampposts in the Friargate Brow area, which runs from Ringway to the Adelphi roundabout near the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan). They are fitted with tear-off sheets, which allow the gum to be easily removed by street cleansing workers when the target is full. There are already 20 GumTargets in place around the city centre, but the new targets are specifically aimed at encouraging students to keep the streets gum free. Councillor Keith Sedgewick, cabinet member for environment and neighbourhood services, said: "Chewing gum makes the streets look a real mess and sticks to people's shoes and clothing. It's not like other forms of litter which are easy to pick up and put back in the bin, once it's there, you're stuck with it for the long term as it's so difficult to remove. "Chewing gum litter is a problem in the Friargate area so we're installing the new GumTargets as part of a range of measures to encourage people to stick their gum instead of throwing it on the floor. "We want people to keep Preston's streets clean, but if people ignore our advice, we will use our enforcement powers to issue £75 on-the-spot fixed penalty fines, so make sure you stick your gum when you're done." Helen Cutts, litter education officer, added: "Some people don't consider chewing gum as litter and throw it on the street without thinking of the mess it makes or how difficult it is to remove. "The GumTargets are eye-catching and apart from being somewhere for people to stick their used gum, they will encourage people to stop and think about the problems caused by gum litter. "The GumTargets we have already installed in the city centre have been very effective, so we're now widening out our campaign to target student areas. "We're pleased that UCLan students' union is supporting this campaign." Ian Kenyon, from Meteora Limited, the company that designs the GumTargets, said: "We have been exceptionally pleased with the response that the GumTarget initiative has had in Preston. "It is a real pleasure to expand this and we look forward to a similar positive response. Every time a GumTarget is used, it means cleaner streets for the residents of Preston to live and work in." BACKGROUND NOTES 1. The new GumTargets, which are being installed in the Friargate area, are part of a range of measures to encourage students to keep the streets free of chewing gum. 2. In addition, chewing gum wrappers, which allow people to wrap their used gum so they can carry it in their pocket until it can be disposed of, will be available from UCLan students' union. 3. Other measures that have been used to tackle chewing gum litter in Preston over the last two years include: installing similar GumTargets and buts and gum bins (for chewing gum and cigarette ends) around the city centre, running advertising campaigns raising awareness of chewing gum litter and giving away portable pouches allowing people to store their used gum until it can be disposed of. 4. A previous chewing gum campaign run in 2006/07 helped to reduce chewing gum litter in the city centre by 80 per cent 5. Every year, 7,000 tonnes of litter is dropped on Preston's streets. That is enough to fill 700 dustbin wagons. 6. Most of the litter found in Preston is made up of used chewing gum, empty food and drink cartons, cigarette ends and sweet wrappers. 7. It costs the council £1.4 million every year to clean up Preston's streets. 8. If people want to report any litter problems in Preston, they should call the council's Litter Line on 01772 906909. www.preston.gov.uk |
