The Guardian reports that scientists at Bristol University have developed a non-stick chewing gum which can be washed off pavements easily and is biodegradable. It adds:
"Councils in Britain spend £150m each year cleaning gum from the streets, with Westminster council alone spending £90,000 a year. A survey by Westminster found it took 17 weeks to clean chewing gum from Oxford Street in London, but within 10 days, cleaners counted 300,000 new pieces stuck to the street."
I'm delighted by the Bristol boffins' breakthrough, but left wondering if it solves the whole problem. After all, if an average 30,000 lumps of Wrigleys are gobbed onto the paving slabs of a single street every day (300,000 divided by ten) that's still a lot of grubby gum spots - sticky fresh ones, too. I say slap a green tax on it. Are you listening, Dave?
