03/05/2013

Archived item. This item is published here for historical reasons. The information below may be out of date.

May 3^rd 2013 -  Year two of the renewed three-year Gum Litter Taskforce campaign was launched today in Tallaght by Mayor of South Dublin County, Councillor Cathal King.

 Last year the GLT campaign achieved a 28% reduction in gum litter nationally. A nationwide on-street attitudes and awareness survey also showed there was a significant improvement in public perception, with gum that is irresponsibly disposed, clearly viewed as ‘litter’ by those surveyed.

The campaign aims to reduce gum litter by raising awareness amongst the public that dropping gum on the ground is littering and carries a €150 fine. The GLT campaign encourages the public to dispose of their used gum responsibly.

Speaking at the launch, Mayor of South Dublin County, Councillor Cathal King said “ I am delighted to launch the Anti Gum Litter Campaign her in the IT Tallaght. It is wonderful to see the involvement of the Students Union here to highlight the blight of gum litter . We hope that when the  local authorities, industry and the general public work  together this will make a tangible difference to South Dublin County streets.

Speaking at the national launch, Minister Hogan said: “Last year I stated that the only long-term sustainable way to deal with the littering issue is to create a culture where littering of all forms is simply unacceptable. The positive results of the GLT campaign demonstrate that we are making good progress towards that goal”.

The theme of the 2012-2014 advertising campaign is “Bin It Your Way” and it features a series of professionally choreographed and highly innovative dance moves which communicate the responsible disposal of gum litter in an engaging way. The campaign also includes:
· A four month mass media advertising campaign (TV, outdoor, print and online).
· A schools education programme aimed at first and second year secondary school students called “Bin It!” This includes an actor-led workshop tour which take place in schools each autumn and which is supported by materials and tools for teachers to download and integrate into lesson plans. (www.chewitbinit.com)
· A dedicated website www.gumlittertaskforce.ie and Facebook page www.facebook.com/binityourway
· Distribution of Point-of-Sale materials to over 1,000 retailers around the country.
· Litter monitoring by local authorities to assess how much littered gum is reduced on- streets as a result of the campaign.
· Sponsorship of three awards in the TidyTowns competition.

GLT Chairman Mr Paul Kelly welcomed the significant increase in Local Authority uptake this year. “Local authority involvement is absolutely critical to the success of the campaign, so I’m delighted we have reached 30 this year including both new and returning councils. I look forward to working closely with them to make the campaign a success. We were delighted with the results of the 2012 GLT campaign as it achieved its main goals of reducing the overall level of gum litter on our streets and promoting a change in the culture and attitude towards gum litter.” added Mr Kelly.”

Each of the participating local authorities will launch their own campaigns in the coming weeks. The 30 local authorities participating are; Dublin, Waterford, Cork, Limerick and Galway City Councils, Laois, Roscommon, Wexford, Donegal, Kilkenny, Sligo, Galway, Kerry, Monaghan, Cavan, Longford, Waterford, Leitrim, Limerick, South Tipperary, Fingal, South Dublin, Westmeath, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Kildare, Wicklow and Trim County Councils and Ennis, Navan and Tullamore Town Councils.

Ends

Notes to editors: The GLT includes representatives of the chewing gum industry; Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government; Food and Drink Industry Ireland; local authority representatives and civic society.