After a successful town clean last year, Gum Zappers returned to Morecambe last week and tackled some of the most gummed-up streets in Morecambe Town centre.
As part of an initiative by Morecambe Business Improvement District (BID) the central streets are receiving a lot of attention to spruce them up for summer by removing thousands of carelessly discarded deposits of chewing gum on the streets.
Ivor Lloyd, of Gum Zappers, said: “Gum Zappers can remove up to 1,000 metres of gum in a single day ― depending on gum coverage and type of surface.
“The system eliminates the need for jet washing, which can be both expensive and disruptive to business. The solution we use is 100% biodegradable and contains no harmful chemicals”.
Morecambe BID Manager, John O’Neill, commented: “It’s time we ended this practice of using the streets and countryside as our personal rubbish bins. As we have seen recently, careless disposal of items such has plastic has huge ramifications for the environment and even our future as a species.
“The same is true with gum – change begins with small steps and a conscious thought to cleanly dispose of your used chewing gum could lead to a big change in behaviour and how we interact with our environment.
“Cleaning up litter and things such as gum comes at a cost. Although people might not see it as a direct cost it does impact them indirectly, costwise.”
Lat year, Morecambe BID and Lancaster City Council trialled gull-proof refuse bags to prevent the spreading of household waste by gulls, and the breeding of rodents. This trial was so successful that it is being rolled out across the BID zone amongst businesses and households that can’t use a wheelie bin. BID is also looking at other environmental initiatives to improve the quality and appeal of the area.
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