August 11, 2021 1.12 pm This story is over 31 months old

By Gum! New Lincoln bins aim to recycle gum into shoes… and more

A bright and colourful recycling idea involving chewing gum
The pink gumdrops have been put up around Lincoln to encourage the public to properly dispose of their chewing gum. | Photo: Lincoln BIG
By Local Democracy Reporter

Chewing gum boxes have been put up around Lincoln in an attempt to clean up the city centre – and the used gum will be recycled into shoes, stationery and more.

The pink Gumdrops look like bubble gum bubbles and encourage people to put their finished gum into the boxes rather than on the pavement.

Once the Gumdrops are full, the whole box will be recycled, and the processed gum can be used for a variety of things, including shoes, mobile phone covers, packaging and more.

It costs £1.50 to clean a piece of gum from the street, according to Lincoln Business Improvement Group, and now city centre wardens are putting up Gumdrop boxes on lamp posts across Lincoln to encourage the public to use the boxes and keep the city clean.

The gumdrops, when full, will be recycled and the gum inside will be used to make shoes, stationery and other things. | Photo: Lincoln BIG

Sarah Loftus, chief executive of Lincoln BIG, said: “Gumdrops are bright pink and look like strawberry flavoured bubble gum bubbles, a fun, colourful replacement for the common blank eyesore of the white splodge.

“They are to encourage people to throw their gum into the Gumdrops rather than onto the street. It costs 3p to buy gum yet £1.50 to clean it from the street.

“We want people to fill the gumdrops to keep our streets clean, but also once the Gumdrop is full, the whole Gumdrop along with its contents of waste gum is recycled, so this is great for the environment too!”