Something to chew on
By Julian Broadhead
Chewing gum. By its very nature only a small thing but in many ways, our attitude to it is symbolic of some of the challenges we face at a broader, societal level.
Let me explain; chewing gum is a disposable commodity, which we consume for a few short minutes (usually until the flavour runs out) before getting rid of it at our convenience, often with no consideration for the impact on the environment and others. This is particularly obvious in cities, where our laissez faire approach can be observed on pavements and picked off the soles of our shoes. It seems apathy is widespread, despite the fact that it costs councils (funded by our taxes) three times the price of a single piece to clean it off.
As always though, there is a different way of doing things. Not reusable chewing gum just yet but instead, a way of recycling chewing gum.
The idea was developed by product designer Anna Bullus, who spent months in a laboratory finding a way to turn used gum into a usable plastic, called BRGP (Bullus Recycled Gum Polymer). The result to date has been the creation of the Gumdrop Bin Project, which offers distinctive pink bins (made from BRGP, naturally) for your flavourless deposit, with the whole thing then being processed to create more BRGP for more bins, in an ever growing cycle. Even better though, there’s no reason why BRGP cannot be used more widely in a range of roles currently filled by normal, oil based plastics.
Not only does the Gumdrop Bin Project offer the environmental benefits of turning waste into a new material, it is also an opportunity for city dwellers to make a positive, more considerate choice about their own surroundings. That can only be a good thing and although the initiative is still in its infancy, we are hoping to see more of the bright pink bins in the near future.
