| The bin units, known as “gummy bins”, are currently being tried out in St Andrews in a pilot scheme organised by Fife Council. The town is the first in Scotland to have the bins installed.
Twenty-five local authorities south of the border already use the devices, and it is thought they could save councils between £300 and £3000 per bin each year in cleaning costs.
Pedestrians can dispose of their unwanted chewing gum in the bin unit, therefore keeping the streets free from the troublesome substance. The contents of the bins can also be recycled and the reprocessed material used for various purposes including underlay for sports running tracks and drainage for football pitches.
A Dundee City Council spokesman said, “We are considering these bins as part of our ongoing commitment to clear the city’s streets of discarded gum, and to improve the environment for everyone.
“The city council employs methods such as special washers to clear gum off the pavements, and we are very keen to look at any method that would discourage chewers from just throwing away their gum in places where it becomes a problem to people and the environment.
“We are very interested in the recycling aspect of these bins, which would further enhance Dundee’s reputation as Scotland’s ‘Recycling City’.
“Chewing gum can cause real problems and we are always looking at ways to improve the situation. Dundee city centre is a real magnet for shoppers from across the country and we are dedicated to maintaining this superb area of the city.”
The Dundee City Centre Action Group, whose objective is to encourage the private and public sectors to act together to develop the economic potential of the city centre, today welcomed the news.
Dundee City Centre Manager Lorna McKenzie said she believes the pleasant look and cleanliness of the city centre are just as important as the retail and leisure facilities.
She said, “Our ambassadors, through the City Centre Management unit within Dundee City Council, are responsible for a number of extra functions, including street monitors and inspections, cleaning up graffiti and the eradication of fly-posting.
“We had great success in March when the City won the Keep Scotland Beautiful Business Community Partnership Award for the ambassadors’ work.
“We would, therefore, work with our partnership groups to introduce any scheme that would help us maintain the high level of environment aesthetics that has made us an award-winning city.” |
