Posted on 02/22/2005 6:05:05 AM PST by ijcr
A tax on chewing gum is needed to help meet the £150m annual cost of cleaning it off streets, council representatives from across the UK are expected to say.
A first national "gum summit" in London will call for a penny-a-packet tax.
The Liberal Democrats have also called for anti-litter messages on packs, and the development of biodegradable gum.
Gum maker Wrigley's says £5m research on that has been unsuccessful. Cardiff, Westminster, Edinburgh and Belfast representatives are due at the summit.
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."
The summit will also discuss 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.
"We are hoping for some government assurance," said Westminster councillor Alan Bradley.
Currently the annual clean-up cost across the capital is estimated at around £4m, with half of that spent removing gum from London Underground trains and stations.
Mr Bradley said: "We are pressing for a government levy or voluntary contribution to help meet our clean-up bill.
"The money would also be used to pay for a national education campaign."
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 said the industry opposed a tax that would make consumers think that had paid for the right to discard gum.
UK gum sales are worth an estimated £258m a year.
Next on the agenda is air. Need to clean up the pollution.
Hey. There's plenty of peckers and heavenly mounds out there too......
FMCDH(BITS)
I'll degrade them for free for this plan.
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