Chewing gum litter cleaned up from Oxford’s historic streets for a second year

ODS, on behalf of Oxford City Council, has successfully completed the removal of chewing gum litter from key city centre streets, thanks to grant funding from the Chewing Gum Task Force. 

The cleanup operation, which began in the summer, focused on heavily trafficked areas including George Street, New Inn Hall Street, Carfax, Queens Street, parts of St Ebbes, High Street, and St Aldates down to Christchurch Meadows. 

Alongside removing the gum, the team deep-cleaned pavements and steam-cleaned street furniture. Educational materials have also been distributed to encourage proper gum disposal and help maintain the cleanliness of the city’s historic streets. 

ODS’ street cleaning team worked early mornings to ensure minimal disruption and adapted their schedule to work around extreme weather conditions and major events, such as St Giles’ Fair and the Oxford Half Marathon.  

The gum removal process is time and labour intensive. In the worst affected areas, it took as long as 30 minutes to clean just 1.5msq, this was then followed by a mechanical sweeper to eliminate any stains left by the gum. 

In line with the Council and ODS’s commitment to sustainability, no chemicals were used during the cleanup, and ODS completed the work using a repurposed 1973 electric milk float, called Earnie. 

This year’s cleanup was made possible by a £26,500 grant from the Chewing Gum Task Force, administered by Keep Britain Tidy. The funding supports both the immediate cleanup and long-term behaviour change to reduce future gum littering. 

"I’m pleased to see our city centre streets gum-free thanks to the hard work of ODS – a big thank you to them. The team's hard work over the past few months, starting early and adapting around large events and extreme weather conditions, doesn't go unnoticed. I hope the clean streets and new disposal guidance will inspire people to keep the streets tidy by properly disposing of their gum in the future."  Councillor Alex Hollingsworth, Cabinet Member for Business, Culture and an Inclusive Economy 

"We're thrilled to be working on behalf of Oxford City Council which received the Chewing Gum Task Force grant from Keep Britain Tidy for a second consecutive year. The funding helps improve the appearance of our historic streets and supports the city’s sustainability goals, using our repurposed electric milk float. Chewing gum litter affects the beauty and accessibility of Oxford, and last year's cleanup showed promising results. We're committed to working with the Council to make a lasting impact and keep our city clean for everyone." Adrian Moss, City Centre and Streetscenes Service Manager, ODS