Recycling Chewing Gum

That’s right.  Companies now have solutions to recycle chewing gum.  Although not completely new, these have not caught on a lot, but are very helpful in recycling materials, as well as keeping sidewalks in areas clean. 

First, there is the Envyrobubble.  This campaign sets up bright pink bins along busy sidewalks.  They can hold up to 1000 pieces of gum.  Envyrobubble then recycles the gum they’ve collected into fertilizer.

Next, there is the Gummy Bin.  This comes in two models: One that holds 250 pieces, the other holds 500 pieces.  These come in a variety of colors, and the 250 piece model can be customized with ads and an LCD screen.  Gummy Bins collects this gum and recycles it into rubber-like material, which can then be used to make things such as running tracks.

Finally, there is the Gumdrop campaign.  This campaign collects chewed gum and recycles it into a polymer that can be used for such things as toys and tires. 

All three of these campaigns have been very successful, and have saved a lot of time and money from cleaning sidewalks.  They are great ways to reuse materials, and hopefully they will be able to expand further in the near future.

Source: Clean Technica: http://cleantechnica.com/2010/08/22/new-plan-for-recycling-gum-into-toys-and-tires/

Springwise.com: http://www.springwise.com/eco_sustainability/gum_recycling_bins/