A plastic-free chewing gum has launched at Iceland stores across Gedling borough – and it could hopefully save our pavements.
Local councils are believed to spend around £60 million a year removing gum the sticky substance from our streets. But with tons of chewing gum being consumed every year, they face a losing battle
However, help could be on hand with a new product going on sale shortly at Iceland stores across the borough that won’t stick to pavements.
The supermarket giant’s new natural gum – Simply Gum – is completely biodegradable, making it better for the environment.
It is made from a tree sap called chicle which is extracted from the sapodilla tree, native to Central America.
The decision to stock the product forms part of the supermarket’s pledge to go ‘plastic-free’ on its own label products – something the chain aims to fulfil by the end of 2023.
Off the back of the announcement, Iceland commissioned research of 2,000 UK adults which found 80 per cent have no idea what ordinary chewing gum is made of.
And shockingly, 85 per cent were not aware it usually contains plastic.
Sir Malcolm Walker, Iceland founder and executive chairman, said: “I absolutely detest the mess that discarded plastic chewing gum creates on our streets, and the fortune that is wasted by councils trying to clear it up.
“For decades, regular gum makers have hidden their synthetic ingredients behind the catch-all term of ‘gum base’ which is consistently used as an ingredient on pack.
“Simply Gum uses the original, natural gum base of chicle and is fully biodegradable.
“We are delighted to make it available to UK consumers in our stores so that they can have a real choice about what they are consuming and the impact they make on the environment.”
Simply Gum creator, Caron Proschan, added: “I created Simply Gum because I recognised a need for a natural gum that was made with high quality, sustainable ingredients.
“We chose Iceland as our UK launch partner because of this shared commitment to quality and sustainability.
“Iceland continues to lead the way in terms of enabling consumers to make informed and responsible choices.
“We’re excited to introduce Simply Gum to the UK market and we hope that Iceland’s customers will be excited about trying a better chew.”
- Simply Gum is now available in Iceland stores across Gedling borough and online – it costs £2 for a pack of 15 and comes in mint, maple and ginger flavours.
