Ireland mulls chewing gum tax
AFP
Published:Jul 23, 2007
DUBLIN - Ireland may impose a clean-up tax on chewing gum if a voluntary agreement with manufacturers fails to show adequate results, the new Green Party environment minister John Gormley warned today.
Gormley, whose party entered government for the first time in Prime Minister Bertie Ahern’s new coalition following the May general election, said he would not hesitate to "implement a levy if necessary."
Last year, then environment minister Dick Roche of Prime Minister Ahern’s Fianna Fail party decided not to impose a clean-up tax on chewing gum, as recommended in a 2002 report on litter.
Instead, gum manufacturers agreed to contribute two million euros a year to help fund a public awareness campaign on the impact of gum litter and research on how to deal with the problem.
A 10 percent mandatory levy on packs of gum - which had been recommended by government-appointed consultants - would have raised over four million euros a year to help meet clean-up bills.
Chewing gum makes up over 25 percent of food-related litter, the single largest food-related item.
Gormley signalled today that he regarded enforcement as the key to tackling litter.
"I have an open mind in relation to the effectiveness of the negotiated agreement, which mainly seeks to reduce chewing gum litter through awareness raising and education which exists between my department and the chewing gum industry.
"But if I feel that the agreement is not having the desired effect then I will have no hesitation in reviewing it and seeking to implement a levy if necessary," he said.
A gum levy would operate in a similar fashion to Ireland’s landmark "Plastax", a successful plastic bag levy which removed an estimated one billion bags from circulation.
Cleaning the blackened remains of chewing gum from expensive cobbles and granite squares laid in showplace plazas and pedestrianised streets throughout Ireland is costing local councils millions of euros a year.
In one month alone the city council removed an estimated 180,000 pieces of embedded gum from Grafton Street, Dublin’s premier shopping thoroughfare.
With about 80 million packets of gum sold in Ireland every year, it is estimated that up to 500 tons ends up dumped on the streets.
AFP
Published:Jul 23, 2007
DUBLIN - Ireland may impose a clean-up tax on chewing gum if a voluntary agreement with manufacturers fails to show adequate results, the new Green Party environment minister John Gormley warned today.
Gormley, whose party entered government for the first time in Prime Minister Bertie Ahern’s new coalition following the May general election, said he would not hesitate to "implement a levy if necessary."
Last year, then environment minister Dick Roche of Prime Minister Ahern’s Fianna Fail party decided not to impose a clean-up tax on chewing gum, as recommended in a 2002 report on litter.
Instead, gum manufacturers agreed to contribute two million euros a year to help fund a public awareness campaign on the impact of gum litter and research on how to deal with the problem.
A 10 percent mandatory levy on packs of gum - which had been recommended by government-appointed consultants - would have raised over four million euros a year to help meet clean-up bills.
Chewing gum makes up over 25 percent of food-related litter, the single largest food-related item.
Gormley signalled today that he regarded enforcement as the key to tackling litter.
"I have an open mind in relation to the effectiveness of the negotiated agreement, which mainly seeks to reduce chewing gum litter through awareness raising and education which exists between my department and the chewing gum industry.
"But if I feel that the agreement is not having the desired effect then I will have no hesitation in reviewing it and seeking to implement a levy if necessary," he said.
A gum levy would operate in a similar fashion to Ireland’s landmark "Plastax", a successful plastic bag levy which removed an estimated one billion bags from circulation.
Cleaning the blackened remains of chewing gum from expensive cobbles and granite squares laid in showplace plazas and pedestrianised streets throughout Ireland is costing local councils millions of euros a year.
In one month alone the city council removed an estimated 180,000 pieces of embedded gum from Grafton Street, Dublin’s premier shopping thoroughfare.
With about 80 million packets of gum sold in Ireland every year, it is estimated that up to 500 tons ends up dumped on the streets.
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