Environment Department

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 15^TH SEPTEMBER 2008

South Dublin County Gum Litter Taskforce Campaign Boost

The local Gum Litter Campaign received a significant boost on Friday the 12^th of September when South Dublin County Council engaged with students from Lucan Community College, a local secondary school, to boost the campaign at Superquinn Shopping Centre, Lucan which was aimed at building on the momentum achieved during the past three months of the campaign. South Dublin County Council is one of 21 Local Authorities participating in the Gum Litter Taskforce (GLT) National Gum Litter Campaign.

The Gum Litter Taskforce Campaign aims to reduce gum littering by educating people to dispose of gum responsibly in the bin. Lucan Community College students distributed pens with the message Bin your gum, not 150. Irresponsibly disposed of chewing gum is litter and anyone disposing of it in an irresponsible way can be fined 150. Students carried out a gum litter survey with shoppers at the Superquinn Shopping Centre Lucan on the day. 85% of people surveyed have experienced the problem of having someone elses used chewing gum stuck on their clothes or shoes; highlighting that chewing gum is often disposed of incorrectly.

Speaking at the second round of the Gum Litter Taskforce awareness activity South Dublin County Councils Assistant Environmental Awareness Officer, Claire Hinch commented We all need to take responsibility for keeping our streets clean. It is extremely important to educate people in order to change their behaviour and encourage people to dispose of their gum responsibly in the bin.

The Gum Litter Taskforce brings together representatives from the Department of the Environment, Heritage & Local Government, the chewing gum industry, Local Authorities, the Department of Education and Science, ECO UNESCO, ENFO, Forige and Retail Ireland. All members are working together to find effective and sustainable ways of preventing the real cause of gum litter: irresponsible disposal.

The campaign is taking place nationally and the Gum Litter Taskforce has provided paid for advertising for a national and regional advertising campaign. The campaign will involve the use of a range of communication initiatives including radio advertising (national & regional), poster advertising at street level, on buses and on trains. Local councils as part of their participation in the programme will implement local initiatives to leverage the campaign including placing the campaign posters in community areas, in bars and clubs, schools, hospitals and other public buildings and promoting the enforcement message for gum littering.

The poster creative this year focuses on the consequences of improper disposal of chewing gum and highlights the fact that chewing gum disposed of incorrectly is regarded as litter. This creative is a continuation from last year where people were encouraged to dispose of the chewing gum properly using a thanks poster creative.

The 21 local authority areas participating in the second phase are the City Councils of Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Waterford, the County Councils of Cavan, Fingal, North Tipperary, South Dublin, South Tipperary, Westmeath, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown, Monaghan, Longford, Leitrim, Wexford, Laois, Kildare, Kilkenny and Donegal and the Town Council of Westport.

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 15^TH SEPTEMBER 2008

Ends

For further information contact:

Claire Hinch, Assistant Environmental Awareness Section, South Dublin County Council, 01 4149000 or chinch@sdublincoco.ie

Gum Litter Taskforce Contact Details:

Paul Kelly, Chairman Carla Timoney

Gum Litter Taskforce GLT Executive

Tel: 01 605 1621 Tel: 01 605 1575

Mobile: 087 202 5545

About the Gum Litter Taskforce

The Gum Litter Taskforce (GLT) was established following a negotiated agreement between the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the chewing gum industry.

The joint initiative is the result of negotiations between the Department and Food and Drink Industry Ireland a business sector of IBEC - on behalf of the chewing gum industry. This follows the publication of the Government Study on Chewing Gum, Fast-Food packaging and ATM receipt litter.

The GLT is charged with developing and implementing an Action Programme to tackle gum litter in the most sustainable way by changing behaviour, the root cause of the issue.

Members of the GLT include representatives of the chewing gum industry, Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Food and Drink Industry Ireland, Department of Education and Science, ENFO, ECO UNESCO, Foroige, local authority representatives and Retail Ireland.