Bye gum! SIC using new equipment to remove street stains

SPECIALIST equipment has been bought by Shetland Islands Council to remove chewing gum from the streets.

The machinery was purchased using a grant from the Chewing Gum Task Force, which was established by the UK Government and is run by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy.

Shetland Islands Council is one of 44 councils across the UK to benefit from a first tranche of funding, provided by major gum manufacturers including Mars Wrigley and Perfetti Van Melle to tackle chewing gum stains.

The £8,172 grant has allowed the council to purchase two backpack sprayers that remove chewing gum within seconds, using a combination of steam and an eco-friendly detergent.

The backpacks are battery operated and self-contained, offering a portable solution to reach any problem locations where deep cleaning is needed.

Cleansing staff will initially target areas of high-footfall where discarded chewing gum is visible, including the Market Cross and the Viking Bus Station in Lerwick.

New signage will soon also be installed on litter bins, to encourage people to bin their gum.

The SIC’s environment and transport committee chair Moraig Lyall said: “Discarded chewing gum is a completely avoidable problem, that is costly and time-consuming to remove.

“This new equipment will allow us to tackle gum on pavements and streets more quickly.

“We’d encourage everyone to dispose of all litter carefully, including chewing gum. Bin it, or take it home, rather than dropping it on our streets.”