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€150 fine for spitting gum
08.07.09
by Liam Porter, Inishowen Independent
INISHOWEN people who spit chewing gum from their
mouth or drop it on the street are risking an
on-the-spot fine of €150, Donegal Waste Awareness
Officer, Suzanne Tinney has confirmed.
Her comments came following the launch at the
weekend of the 2009 gum litter campaign in Buncrana,
aimed at raising awareness of the gum litter issue.
The campaign launched across the country by
twenty-nine local authorities in association with
the Department of the Environment also hopes to
educate consumers about the responsible disposal of
gum and achieve behaviour change in relation to the
proper disposal of chewing gum.
“Donegal County Council’s decision to participate in
the campaign once again this year is very welcome,”
said Mr Paul Kelly, Chairman of the Gum Litter
Taskforce.
“The more local authorities that participate the
better as it gives the campaign more reach
throughout the country.”
Last weekend’s launch in Buncrana was a joint
initiative between Donegal County Council, Buncrana
Town Council, Buncrana Tidy Towns and local
businesses and according to Suzanne Tinney hopes are
high that locals will begin to think carefully
before just dropping gum on the street.
“It’s a matter of educating people, they need to
realise that dropping gum is like dropping litter
and that carries a fine of €150.” |
She added that councils
across the country face huge bills every year trying
to clean gum off the streets, money, she says, could
be better spent in other areas.
“People really need to think about what they are
doing when they are disposing of gum. The very
nature of chewing gum is such that it does not rot
away. It might over a long period of time wear away
through wear and |
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tear, but usually it
just stays until it is cleaned off and that is a
very costly process.”
Urging people to change their attitudes and
behaviour towards gum and litter in general, Ms
Tinney said the recently launched campaign should
help make more people aware that chewing gum is
litter and just shouldn’t be dropped on the ground.
Meanwhile Paul Kelly, Chairman of the Gum Litter
Task Force said that the latest campaign follows
successful campaigns over the past two years.
“The campaign will involve a combination of outdoor
advertising, in-store and around store advertising,
point of sale materials and the promotion of greater
awareness of litter law enforcement through higher
visibility of litter fines for irresponsible
disposal of gum in the local authority areas
throughout the country.”
He added that the campaign will run from June 2009
until the beginning of October.
“The 2009 initiative will build upon the very real
and significant improvements which have been made in
relation to gum litter awareness and disposal
behaviour over the past two years,” he concluded. |
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