If you ever see or pass by a bright pink bubble-shaped container it will probably be a gumdrop bin. These holders are made from recycled gum and specifically designed for the disposal of the chewing gum. As the irresponsible chewer is leaving their gum at several unwanted places like on the pavement. They appear worthless but don't indicate that they are cheap. It costs the UK about £ 150 million to make its streets gum-free.
Gumdrop not only offers a solution but proves that their bins reduce the rubbish up by 46% in the first 12 weeks of use. It is a small effort with a huge change, so look out for the pink bins!
When a gumdrop is saturated with gum the whole container goes to the company. The content is then processed to manufacture new gumdrops containers. Other products are also manufactured with the gum material. It is a closed-loop recycling process designed to educate, inspire and encourage the (chewing) crowd.
Gumdrop Ltd. - Gumdrop Life Cycle - Source: http://gumdropltd.com/gumdrop-bin/
If you're interested in the initiative you can order a gumdrop for your area. The company even provides you with a Welcome Launch Pack, filled with the necessary info and tips. This is to help you get started! Gumdrop Ltd. currently distributes gumdrops in the UK and Denmark and intends to collaborate with other countries to reduce gum waste.
If you can't manage a large gumdrop container, you can purchase a Gumdrop-on-the-go. This is a small gumdrop bin that hangs on a keyring. Utilising a keyring makes it easier to attach. The portable bin is for personal use and follows the same process as his big brother. When the bin is filled up with gum you could send it to Gumdrop company for free, or look for the nearest dropbox of Gumdrop.
Gumdrop Ltd. - Gumdrop On-The-Go - Source: http://gumdropltd.com/gumdrop-on-the-go/
Gum-Tec uses recycled gum to create new compounds. It can be used as a sustainable material to produce new goods. The company manufactured a range of goods that were inspired by gum collectors and consumers. Take a look at their webshop.
The company works with other businesses globally that are interested in Gumdrop Ltd.'s recycling method. One of these partnerships is for project Gumshoe. Explicit a shoe brand from Amsterdam designed with the help of Gumdrop Ltd., the first pair of sneakers made out of recycled chewing gum. The specific gum used to create these shoes was collected from the streets of Amsterdam.
Gumdrop Ltd. - Gum-tec-Gumshoe - Source: http://gumdropltd.com/gum-tec-gumshoe/
Take a look at Gumdrop Ltd. to find out more! Or follow the artists exploration which is full of personal experiments and sources of inspiration.
Sources:
http://gumdropltd.com/h
ttps://gumshoe.amsterdam/