Gum recycling bins

While it may not be at the forefront of even the most eco-driven minds, chewing gum is littering sidewalks, city centers, schools and other public places—and there are better uses for it than collecting on the bottoms of our favourite shoes, according to two new start-ups that are out to solve the gum littering problem. Canadian Envyrobubble and British Gummy Bins offer tidy collection bins for pedestrians to deposit their chewed out pieces of gum. Envyrobubble’s colorful bins are designed for public spaces. Eye-catching designs in hot pink (err… bubblegum pink) stand out on busy sidewalks. Each holds up to 1,000 pieces of gum, which are collected by Envyrobubble and recycled into fertilizer. Gummy Bins come in two models—the Gummy Street, which can hold up to 500 pieces of gum, and the Gummy Club, which holds 250. Both models can be attached to street lanterns or walls and are available in a variety of gummy bear colors. The containers can be used indoors or out, though the smaller Gummy Club is more suitable for formal settings, can be branded with logos or promotional messages and is even available with an optional LCD screen. Gummy Bins has partnered with Hippo Waste, a leading UK recycling company that recycles gum into a rubber-like material that can be used in construction of drainage systems, running tracks and more. The concept might seem a bit far-fetched, and we should be wary of more clutter in public spaces, but scraping gum off pavements costs money that could be spent on loftier goals. The cleaning process also requires harsh chemicals and lots of water, which is far from beneficial for the environment. One to add to your mix if you’re in recycling or city government. And shouldn’t Wrigleys, Chiclets and Bubblicious be lining up to sponsor the bins? Both Envyrobubble and Gummy Club are open to international distribution deals. Websites: www.envyrobubble.com — www.gummybin.com Spotted by: Danielle Schwartz