Sticky Waste – The Problem of Chewing Gum Litter in Open Public Areas

Chewing gum is not water soluble and unlike other confectionery it is not fully consumed. It isextremely difficult and expensive to remove once “walked in” and dried. Gum strongly bonds to asphalt and rubber shoe soles because they are based on polymeric hydrocarbons. It also bonds strongly with concrete paving. Removal is generally achieved by steam jet and scraper but the process is slow and labor-intensive.The consumption of chewing gums in Germany amounts around 14.000 tons per year. The biggest group of consumers is in the age between 20 and 29 years. In a study (2013) of the University in Gießen, Germany, the problem of chewing gum disposal was researched. Various selected squares were analyzed and the numbers of existing as well as newly added chewing gum stains were counted.