It might seem unbelievable, but humble chewing gum - long a staple product in convenience stores - is made using microplastics which are both bad for the environment and ingested by us.
“Current government regulations enable manufacturers to legally disguise plastic under the harmless-sounding ingredient term ‘gum base,’” explains Keir Carnie (left), founder of green gum brand Nuud, speaking exclusively to Convenience Store. He has now launched Poisoned by Plastic in a bid to get major manufacturers to stop using plastic in their gum production.
“This loophole protects corporations, not consumers, giving Big Gum the perfect smokescreen, while chewers unknowingly put plastics into their mouths and ingest vast quantities of microplastics.
”Government rules prioritise corporate profits over the transparency chewers deserve to make informed decisions,” Carnie adds.
“People are literally chewing the same materials used to make tyres, water bottles and even glue…”
Carnie was first prompted to act when he heard what he thought was just a wild rumour that chewing gum was made with car tyres. “It sounded absurd, until I dug deeper. The reality was even more shocking - companies like Goodyear are major suppliers to the gum industry, and that vague term, ‘gum base’ listed on packs is plastic. People are literally chewing the same materials used to make tyres, water bottles and even glue…”
In fact, chewing gum is one of the world’s most overlooked single-use plastics, with four billion pieces consumed each year in the UK alone.
“We’ve rightly gone to great lengths to ban single-use plastic straws and vapes, yet we still allow people to chew the equivalent amount of hidden plastic in each piece of gum,” Carnie adds.
The new Poisoned By Plastic campaign is powered by scientists, campaign groups, university professors, MPs and brands united by one goal - to rid the world of plastic gum. “In the UK alone, 28 million people chew gum every year and half of them are under 25, according to Kantar. That makes tackling this issue among young people critical.
”That’s why we’ve joined forces with youth movement Kids Against Plastic to empower the next generation to lead the charge for change,” Carnie added.
The campaign has already reached more than 30 million people and sparked parliamentary action. MP Wera Hobhouse and colleagues recently tabled an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons, calling for urgent reform - including mandatory labelling of plastic ingredients in gum.The motion has already secured 41 cross-party signatures and is now under review by the DEFRA committee. It’s also working with responsible national retailers to remove plastic gum from their shelves.
“The convenience channel is one of the biggest drivers of chewing gum sales - which means store owners have real power to make a difference. By stocking plastic-free alternatives like Nuud, retailers can give customers the choice. And for those ready to lead the way, the most responsible step is to remove plastic gum from shelves altogether.”
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