Leeds City Centre to Undergo Chewing Gum Clean-Up

Funding secured for deep cleaning and behaviour change campaign

Leeds City Council has obtained funding to tackle chewing gum litter in the city centre this summer. The initiative aims to improve the cleanliness and appearance of key streets by removing gum stains and encouraging responsible disposal.

Details of the cleaning programme

The council received a grant of £25,701.30 from the Chewing Gum Task Force, a national scheme administered by the environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy. The funding will be used to carry out a deep clean of selected streets and apply a pavement protector to prevent future staining and facilitate easier gum removal.

The streets targeted for cleaning include:

• Call Lane
• Duncan Street
• Lower Briggate
• New York Street
• York Street (near the bus station)
• Cloth Hall Street (next to the Corn Exchange)

Behaviour change and signage

Alongside the cleaning, the council will introduce new signage and run a behaviour change campaign to encourage people to dispose of chewing gum responsibly. This approach is supported by evidence from Behaviour Change, a not-for-profit social enterprise, which has monitored similar schemes and found reductions in gum littering of up to 86% within two months of intervention. The positive effects were sustained for at least six months following street cleaning and signage installation.

Statements from officials

Leeds City Council’s Executive Member for Environment, Councillor James Gibson, said:

“We are very pleased to have secured this national funding through Keep Britain Tidy to help remove chewing gum from some of the busiest streets in Leeds city centre. While most people dispose of their chewing gum responsibly, discarded gum can have a significant impact on the appearance of public spaces. We would encourage everyone to use the nearest bin so that together we can help keep our city centre clean and welcoming.”

“The new signage will also help raise awareness of the importance of looking after our environment and encourage people to play their part in keeping Leeds city centre as clean and attractive as possible for everyone to enjoy.”

Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Chief Executive of Keep Britain Tidy, commented:

“While chewing gum litter remains a stubborn eyesore in our public spaces, the good news is that this scheme is already driving major improvements. As an environmental charity, we know that every piece of gum dropped irresponsibly damages the environment, taking years to break down naturally, while also leaving taxpayers to foot the bill for costly clean-up operations. Everyone in Leeds can play a part in creating cleaner, greener streets for all by binning their gum properly.”

Background on the Chewing Gum Task Force

The Chewing Gum Task Force is a partnership involving major chewing gum producers such as Mars Wrigley and Perfetti Van Melle. Administered by Keep Britain Tidy, the scheme aims to invest up to £10 million over five years to clean historic gum stains and encourage behavioural change to reduce gum littering across UK high streets.

Additional information

• Behaviour Change social enterprise specialises in behavioural science to promote social and environmental improvements.
• An intervention toolkit is available for councils to support gum litter reduction efforts.
• Keep Britain Tidy runs various environmental programmes including the Great British Spring Clean and the Green Flag Award.