the article below is a an example how a simple natural solution can change things
drastically...
This simple solution will do all of the following:
1) it will keep the city of London cleaner.
2) it will save millions of dollars.
3) it will allow for people to still be careless :) and still have the streets cleaned ( this is an answer to some that say, we have all these great inventions and technologies but the people are not "ready". people are still way behind? first of all people are changing,(maybe its the ubiquitous eyes of the new technologies, but almost nothing is secret anymore) second, people will catch on and change. This story is a good example that even though people are still throwing gum on the floor (being careless and irresponsible) being that the time has come for the streets to be clean of gum a solution has arrived and eventually people will actually change.....I'm sure there are many other examples but i thought this was a small interesting way to look at it.
New gum could mean sticky end for mess
- Story Highlights
- Authorities, green groups welcome launch of world's first biodegradable gum
- Chewing gum costs millions to remove from city sidewalks
- Manufacturers say new Mexican product decomposes in six weeks
By Olivia Feld
For CNN
The new gum becomes non-adhesive when dry and decomposes to dust within six weeks, a spokesman for
The makers of Chicza say it is the first biodegradable chewing gum ever sold. Environmental and waste management groups told CNN that they, too, believe it is a first.
Unlike other gums that contain petrochemicals the natural gum is produced from the sap of the chicozapote tree found in the Mexican rainforest, a spokesman for Chicza told CNN.
A spokesman for campaign group Keep Britain Tidy told CNN they welcome any product that can help eradicate the staining on pavements caused by dropped chewing gum.
Removing chewing gum litter costs local authorities £150 million ($222 million) a year, a spokesman for the Local Government Association told CNN.
Sixty-five percent of British streets have chewing gum stuck on them, a spokesman from Keep Britain Tidy told CNN.
One of the worst-affected areas is
"Gum litter is a constant problem for us, especially given the vast number of visitors to
"It's an incredibly expensive and time-consuming task, so anything that could reduce the problem is very welcome indeed." he said.
British parliamentarians have called on the government to introduce a tax on chewing gum, with the money raised going toward the cost of gum removal.
In
The producer of the new gum is Consorcio Chiclero, which comprises 46 cooperatives with around 2,000 chicleros farmers, working in an area of 1.3 million hectares of rainforest, according to a statement from Chicza.
Locals have been extracting the natural chicle gum base from the bark of the chicozapote trees for a century, a spokesman for Chicza told CNN.
After years of exporting the gum base to be used as an ingredient in the manufacture of regular chewing gum, the cooperative recently decided to start making its own gum using only chicle gum base and natural flavorings and sweeteners, Chicza said.
The company launched its gum in
The Chicza gum sells for £1.39 ($2.06) for a pack of 12 squares.
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