More than 20,000 pieces of chewing gum have been kept off the streets of Acton following Ealing Council's gum campaign and responsible local residents.

 

In the last six months residents have chosen to stick their chewing gum to GumTargets - A4 size posters displayed throughout the town centre - rather than drop it on the floor.

 

The innovative GumTargets, some of which encourage chewers to vote on topics such as football by sticking their gum according to their preferences, are produced by Meteora Limited who also regularly replace the gum-covered posters with fresh ones.

 

Councillor John Delaney, Cabinet Member for Streets and Environment said:

 

"When I first heard about GumTargets I thought they were a quirky idea but I hadn't realised quite what an impact they would have on the streets of Acton. 20,000 pieces of used chewing gum could now be sticking to residents' shoes and clothes, littering our pavements, and making the town look unsightly, but instead they have been quickly and easily removed and disposed of."

 

The GumTargets are designed to encourage people to think about their behaviour, and discourage them from dropping or spitting their gum onto the floor. The GumTargets will be trialled in Acton High Street for a further six months and may then be rolled out in other parts of the borough.

 

December 5th, 2004