Is spitting gum out littering?

Look closer.This isn't paint. These aren't bread crumbs. This is all dry gum.

Look even closer. Do you see that round thing in the middle? Yes folks, it is a drain. It's not that hard to miss, isn't it?

What's the matter with people, really! If you make a conscious decision to litter, why do you even bother pretending that you tried to spit your gum in the drain? Let me break it down to you. Contrary to popular belief, spitting gum out on a street IS littering. Spitting gum out next to a drain IS littering. Spitting gum out anywhere in public areas IS littering. This careless action pollutes our streets and neighborhoods. It may kills animals. It does cost money to clean up. Most cleaning solutions contain chemicals which add to the environmental pollution.

Chemicals, freezing, pressure washer or dry vapor are the methods of cleaning our streets from dry gum. Get more information HERE about these methods, their effect on your city budget and their negative impact on your environment.

Perhaps, the next time you are done with your gum, you will think twice about spitting it out carelessly.  It only takes a little effort to wrap your gum properly and disposing of it responsibly. Protect your environment. Protect your budget. Make a stand and say NO to chewing gum litter.

Over 650,000 metric tons of chewing gum waste is produced each year

When was the last time you stepped in gum? How frustrating was it to remove it? Did you feel embarrassed?

Was it something like this?

Chewing gum manufacturing began in the US in the mid 1800s and has grown to over a $2 billion industry in the US. It is estimated that the US gum chewers chew an average of 370 pieces of gum per year. Sugar‐free chewing gum sales have been increasingly growing. In 2008 alone, the market increased by 12%. In the past few years the industry growth was estimated around 7%. 50% of gum sales in the US are to those in the ages 15-24.

Every year, over 650,000 metric tons of chewing gum waste is produced.

Many countries view gum as litter when discarded improperly - outside trash containers. Chewing gum is not biodegradable. Sticky gum litter causes damage to shoes, clothing, and it pollutes our environment. It is estimated that 90% of gum is carelessly discarded as litter – spat out on sidewalks, in parks, under desks or chairs. Some countries, like Singapore, have already banned gum chewing to reduce gum pollution.

Education regarding proper chewing gum disposal and proper chewing gum etiquette is key to raising awareness around littering and pollution in general. In the UK, gum removal companies charge between £0.45 and £1.50 per square meter for cleanup. In the US, gum removal can cost up to $2 - $3 per piece of gum.

WRAPERZ

The WraperZ product provides a solution to a clean, sanitary and environmentally friendly way to gum disposal. One WraperZ booklet made from a recycled paper and containing 10 wrapping papers can cost as little as a few cents. Wrapping a used chewing gum in a piece of paper and disposing of it properly may seem like too much work, too much effort and something the chewers simply don’t feel like having to worry about. It is, however a step in the right direction, the step in an environment free of chewing gum pollution.

Will you join the revolution of freeing our environment of gum pollution?

CHEW IT + WRAP IT + TOSS IT = EXTINCT GUM POLLUTION

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Free WraperZ in restaurants

When you walk into a restaurant, do you usually scan the hostess stand to see what free give aways you can score? I do! Most of the time it's matches, toothpicks and business cards. I don't really care for the toothpicks, a dental floss does a much better job. Business cards are OK, but let's be honest. In my case, they end up tossed and lost. Hardly do I ever rely on business cards when I look for a place to eat. Google and Apps do the search for me. I guess matches will do. They are mostly meant for smokers and even though I am not one, I take them anyway and use them for lighting my candles.

The CDC 2012 statistics say that 45.3 million people ages 18 and older smoke cigarettes in the United States (21.5% of men and 17.3% of women). Rising cost of cigarettes may help people realize that it's finally time to stop. Just to illustrate, the recent increase of the Illinois cigarette tax will cost a smoker about $300 a month to continue with this unhealthy habit. 

Quitting Smoking Statistics
Percentage of smokers who want to quit altogether	70%
Percentage of smokers who will try to quit this year	40%
Percentage of smokers who will succeed at quitting smoking on their first time	7%
Percentage of people who will quit smoking cold turkey	3.5%
Percent of people who relapse into smoking while intoxicated with alcohol	50%
Average time it takes for toxins to leave your system after quitting smoking	10 days
Reduced rate of dying from smoking if quitting before age 30	90%
Reduced rate of dying from smoking if quitting before age 50	50%

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As the cigarette prices continue to rise, the number of smokers will continue to drop and the need for old fashioned matches may dissipate. From the marketing perspective, a book of matches offers a prime advertising space that is valuable to restaurant owners.

Has the time come restaurant owners start thinking about what the next generation advertising medium might be?

If YOU had a choice between a free WraperZ booklet or a book of matches, what would you have selected?

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Get rid of your gum!

Pretty Woman has been on my top 10 movie list for years now. I might have seen it at least 20 times and still enjoy it. The shopping scene is definitely one of my favorites. If you have seen the movie, I bet you can remember the scene where Julia Roberts lifts up her hands full of shopping bags and says "Big mistake! Big! Huge! Smile.. :)

What I find really interesting though is the very beginning of this clip. When I first saw the movie, I laughed out laud when Julia spat our her gum on the street. I must admit that even as I was  watching the clip again, I chuckled. Mostly though because of the scene itself and Julia's brilliant acting skills.

The more I think about it, the more I realize how many times I did the same thing and spat my gum out. Was it because I was too lazy to look for a trash bin or a piece of paper to wrap it into? Was it because I was able to do so without any consequences? I guess both.

Recently, as I started to look into how much pollution is caused by gum, how much it costs to clean it and how many germs and bacteria it carries, I noticed that I am much more aware of my own bad habit of spitting gum out. I really don't anymore. I've made a conscious decision to stop my littering behavior.  It's not always that easy. What helps me though is having my WraperZ with me at all times. I have a booklet in the car, I have one in my purse and I have several of them in my work bag. And if I am in a place where I can't access my WraperZ, I don't just spit my gum out. I promise. I find a responsible way to dispose of it. I try to walk to talk.

Can you join me?

Tell your friends. Tell your loved ones. Tell everyone. Together we can stop chewing gum pollution one chew at a time.

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Thank you!

This is an interesting case of littering. A 12 year old gets caught spitting his used gum out of the moving vehicle. He claims he spat it out because it didn't taste good. Ok, I understand that. We all get rid of our gum when we are done chewing it. That's not anything unusual. What warrants a conversation though is the fact that he didn't think of disposing of it properly and responsibly. 

The boy's mother doesn't seem to recognize her son's poor decision either and she calls the entire process silly. Is the process really silly? Or is it the lack of understanding and awareness regarding littering and polluting? When has it become acceptable to spit gum out on a street or out of the window of a moving vehicle? Littering is punishable by law in some cities and countries. Yet some people still choose to ignore it and when they get caught, they get upset and blame the system or the process. 

It's time to take some responsibility and modify our littering behavior. Wrap your gum before tossing it. WraperZ, an environmentally friendly chewing gum wrapper is a perfect solution for tossing your gum in a responsible way.

It's time to stand up to chewing gum pollution and make a difference one chew at a time.

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Have you ever seen another person tossing their food wrapper out of their car window? Have you seen another person unwrapping chewing gum and tossing the wrapping paper on the street? Have you ever tossed anything out on the street?

I've been thinking a lot about my own littering behavior and wondering why I would feel comfortable tossing a piece of trash out irresponsibly. My immediate answer is the lack of trash receptacles. My second answer is.... LAZINESS. Even I have to admit, that I have littered in the past simply because I was allowed to. Simply because there wasn't anybody around me who would hold me accountable. There. I said it. I did it, because I could get away with it.

Today, as I am consciously trying to promote cleaner environment by helping raise awareness about chewing gum pollution, I am so much more aware of how much people litter. I go for a run in my neighborhood (about 3 miles) and I notice chewing gum blobs everywhere! Just yesterday, I must have counted at least 23 chewing gum globs that my fellow neighbors spat out.

Now, think about all the other litter that is around us polluting our environment, including the water we drink and the air we breathe. It's not a pretty thought, is it? Littering is the result of individual behavior. Behavior is learned by observations or it is ingrained in us by the way our parents raised us. The good thing is though, that no matter how bad or good our behavior is, it can be changed if we make a conscious decision, a proactive one, to do so.

Here is what we can all do to make that change - a positive change that would preserve and protect the earth's and its precious resources. LET'S MAKE LITTERING OUR RESPONSIBILITY! Let's start thinking about the consequences of our actions!

When it comes to chewing gum litter, don't  just spit your used gum out. Stop yourself and think about your next step. Do I spit it out? Do I make a little effort and wrap it and toss it away  in a trash receptacle? The choice is yours. Just remember, tossing gum away responsibly is free, it doesn't cost you a dime. It will keep our environment clean and it will protect small animals from digesting it.

Do the right thing! MAKE LITTERING YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.

Many sidewalks in your cities and towns look like poke dots. Unfortunately that's not a creative design. That's all chewing gum pollution.

Chewing gum in a dishwasher

Why don't they allow chewing gum at schools? Have you ever given it some thought? The answer is really simple - chewing gum pollution.

What do you do when you end up with a piece of gum in your dishwasher? Well, based on your damage, you may call a professional. If the damage doesn't seem too serious, save your $$$ and try one of the solutions offered in an article called "Do It Yourself". 

Here is an excerpt:

"Method 1 - Ice the Gum

Step 1: Apply Ice to the Gum Spots

Put pieces of ice in a small sealable plastic bag and hold them for several seconds against each gum spot to harden it. With a plastic spatula or a plastic scrubber that is safe for non-stick cookware, scrape away at the hardened gum to remove as much as possible.

Step 2: Wipe Down the Dryer Drum with Vinegar and Water

Make a 50 percent solution of vinegar and water in a 1-quart bottle and apply this to a cloth. Wipe over the gum spots to lift off more residue."

Continue reading HERE.

Lots of times, it's our own laziness and lack of awareness that make our lives more difficult. When our lives become more difficult, we have tendencies to overlook simple solutions, the proactive ones. We focus on searching for difficult and costly solutions instead - the reactive ones.

Now, here is the kicker! When it comes to chewing gum pollution, we have a proactive solution called WraperZ. WraperZ offers a simple concept of wrapping your gum into a piece of paper. Kind of a no-brainer, right?

Check out the concept at our website www.wraper-z.com and become our fan on Facebook. 

Help our cause, spread the awareness and let's all promote a clean environment free of chewing gum pollution.

18.7 Billion Pieces of Chewing Gum End up on Streets

Chew it - Wrap it - Toss it

As one of the best performers in the candy industry, chewing gum continues to be a favorite among American consumers. Although the history of chewing gum is somewhat cloudy, evidence shows that ancient Greeks chewed on a substance made from the resin of the Mastic tree. Native Americans were also known to have chewed on a substance made from the resin of Spruce trees. This practice continued until the early 19th century and is known as one of the first examples of modern chewing gum. Americans began manufacturing gum in the mid 1800's by adding paraffin wax to make the gum softer and last longer. During the late 1800's the industry leaders that we know today, William Wrigley Jr.(Wrigley), Henry Fleer (Chiclets) and Franklin Channing (Dentyne gum),entered the business. Today millions of people enjoy chewing gum and every year over $4 billion of chewing gum products are sold worldwide.

Chewing gum has been popular in America since it's creation in the mid 1800's and has been marked by periods of strong growth and decline throughout the 20th century. The overall success of the industry can be attributed to low manufacturing costs and aggressive marketing campaigns. One of the trends that the gum companies were able to take advantage of was America's obesity fears associated with traditional candy items. With Americans becoming more health conscious the first sugar-free chewing gum was created in the late 1940s. Gum manufactures were easily able to market gum as being good for you. According to Global Business Insights, sugar-free and functional gum products will experience compound annual growth rates 9.5 and 5.5 percent in the U.S until 2010. In comparison, sugar confectionery such as lollipops and sweets will grow at 1.5 percent over the same time period in the U.S.

Another trend gum manufactures were able to use to their advantage was using chewing gum as an alternative to smoking. In the early 1990s smoking was being outlawed in more public places allowing gum manufactures to position their products as substitutes for smoking cigarettes. Taking this position resulted in a 1.3 percent average annual rise is gum sales from 1986 to 1992.

The idea behind the development of the WraperZ product is to captivate chewing gum lovers who have recognized the chewing gum littering issue and therefore have a need for this product.With some 374 billion pieces of chewing gum being sold worldwide annually  chewing gum clean up cost are sky rocking! Even if 95 percent of all gum chewers disposed of their gum properly, that still leaves 18.7 billion pieces of improperly discarded gum to be found on sidewalks, park benches, underneath chairs and tables, and even on clothes. In London, England, it is estimated that 65 percent of the streets have chewing gum on them. The removal cost is estimated to be a whooping $222 million a year.

Many companies worldwide have focused on finding easier, more cost effective ways of helping control gum pollution. Some companies have focused on the gum itself, working to create a removable and biodegradable gum. Some progress has been made, but it is still far from being solved.

Until then, the WraperZ product offers an immediate, environmentally friendly solution to gum pollution prevention. Not only that it will prompt chewing gum lovers to chew their gum, wrap it and then dispose of it properly, but it is also an innovative advertising medium, that fits in every pocket, every car, every window display. 

Check it out for yourself!

The WraperZ tri-fold booklets provide 4x the amount of advertising space than a book of matches.

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