Maidstone Borough Council has secured over £19,000 to bring back its highly successful cleaning initiative after a targeted campaign absolutely obliterated discarded chewing gum rubbish across local hotspots.
The funding, awarded for a second consecutive year by the Chewing Gum Task Force and administered by Keep Britain Tidy, will pay for intense deep-cleaning operations and clever anti-littering campaigns to keep the borough’s high streets and parks sparkling.
An independent study of Maidstone’s efforts last year proved the scheme is a total game-changer, revealing an 86% drop in dropped gum after just two months, with the clean-cut results still holding strong six months later thanks to brightly coloured warning signs.
Maidstone is one of 50 lucky UK councils splitting the cash this year from the scheme, which is fully funded by major confectionery giants like Mars Wrigley and Perfetti Van Melle to protect local wildlife and stop messy waste from ruining public spaces.
Councillor Clive English, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services and Enforcement, praised the funding boost and reminded residents that keeping Maidstone tidy is simple if everyone just pops their used gum straight into the bin.