Sticky Situation

By Jeremy Caplan

Gum control is popping up high on the priority list of a growing number of cities around the world fed up with the gunk on their sidewalks. In London, representatives from Belfast, Cardiff and other British cities gathered last month for a summit on gum pollution. London's Oxford Street alone is smeared with some 300,000 bits of used gum; chew-goo cleanup costs Britain an estimated $290 million a year. A new bill in Parliament would fine gum droppers $145.

In Toronto, public complaints led the city to measure gum goop last year for the first time. In the 2004 litter audit, 2,000 pieces of gum dotted one typical stretch of sidewalk, compared with just 200 pieces of other litter. In response, the city is trying out trash cans that let users toss in gum without having to touch the dirty bin. A downtown business district now spends about $37,000 annually to power-wash gum off its sidewalks, and on April 22, the city will be the host of a "20 Minute Makeover" featuring a public gum-removal demonstration.

U.S. researchers are working on scientific solutions to the sticky scourge. Graciela Padua, a food scientist at the University of Illinois, in Urbana, has developed a biodegradable gum made of zein, a corn derivative. It's costly to make but doesn't adhere to surfaces. And its flavor? "It tastes plain," Padua admits, "but you can blow big bubbles." --By Jeremy Caplan