The Gum Litter Taskforce (GLT) was out in force on the streets of Dublin this morning to launch its gum litter education campaign for 2016 which aims to reduce the amount of gum litter and change people’s behaviour towards littering.
The Gum Litter Taskforce has been hugely successful to date with the National Litter Pollution Monitoring System showing an overall decrease in people dropping gum from 26% when the campaign started in 2007, to 11% in the latest results. The results of the attitudinal research carried out by Millward Brown on behalf of the GLT during the 2015 campaign saw the highest numbers to date reporting they never drop gum.
This is the second year of the latest campaign, the result of a new agreement between the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government and Food and Drink Industry Ireland (FDII) representing the gum industry, to fund a national gum litter awareness programme from 2015-2017.
Speaking about the official launch of the 2016 campaign, Lord Mayor of Dublin Críona Ní Dhálaigh said: “It was a pleasure to be at the launch of last year’s campaign following the renewed agreement and it is great to be here to launch the 2016 campaign on the back of such strong results. Education campaigns are all about changing behaviour and that is clearly working in the case of the Gum Litter Taskforce. Is iontach go bhfuil pobail áitiúla ag obair as lámha a chéile leis an lucht tionscail le hathrú chun feabhais a bhaint amach. Tá mé ag tnúth go mór le tuilleadh a fheiceáil ón tionscnamh seo i mbliana.”
Paul Kelly, Chairman of the GLT added: “The main goal of this campaign has always been to reduce the amount of gum litter and change people’s behaviour towards littering. The results of the National Litter Pollution Monitoring System are demonstrable proof of the success of the campaign to date. We’re hoping to build on this success again this year and see even better results. The national launch today will set off an extensive advertising campaign which is being rolled out nationwide and includes the various strands of the campaign such as the hugely popular Bin It!”
Industry representative Alex West; Senior Manager, Corporate Affairs – UK & Ireland for the Wrigley Company said: “The Wrigley Company is delighted to be the industry representative on the GLT. The Gum Litter Taskforce is a unique industry funded initiative that runs in partnership with local and national government and civic society to tackle a common goal through awareness and education. The campaign results to date have demonstrated the success our approach has had in changing behaviour and attitudes to gum littering.”
Each of the local authorities will launch their own campaigns in the coming weeks. The 23 participating authorities are: Dublin, Cork City and County Councils, Galway City and County Councils, Clare, Donegal, Dun-Laoghaire Rathdown, South County Dublin, Fingal, Kilkenny, Kerry, Leitrim, Cavan, Longford, Meath, Sligo, Roscommon, Tipperary, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford and Wicklow.
Source: Envirocentre – Gum Litter Taskforce Launches 2016 National Gum Litter Education Campaign
