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World's First Biodegradable, All-Natural Chewing Gum Reduces Litter

In celebration of Earth Day in April, the invention spotlight shines toward those innovations that work to solve our world's environmental issues. This month, InventHelp® highlights a perfect example of how great eco-solutions come in small places. The world's first biodegradable chewing gum, lauded by environmental groups and local governments alike, was introduced earlier this month.

The common, albeit rude, practice of sticking our used chewing gum under tables, public benches or street railings creates a massive litter problem. It's hard to believe, but the cumulative cost of cleaning up chewing gum litter reaches an astonishing $222 million a year. Gum stains pavement and damages paint – we at InventHelp think about things like that, and so do our clients.

Mexico's Chicza Mayan Rainforest Chewing Gum becomes non-adhesive when dry and dissolves into dust within six weeks, a company spokesman told CNN. The makers of the gum and many environmental groups believe that this biodegradable gum is the first of its kind.

Merely preventing litter is just the tip of this gum's eco-iceberg. Unlike other gums that contain petrochemicals, this natural gum is produced from the sap of Mexico's chicozapote tree. Locals in Mexico's rainforest have been extracting natural chicle gum base from the bark of the chicozapote trees for a century.

The producer of the new gum is Consorcio Chiclero, which is comprised of 46 cooperatives with around 2,000 chicleros farmers, working in an area of 1.3 million hectares of rainforest, according to a statement from Chicza.

For years, the gum base was exported to be used during the manufacture of regular chewing gum. The cooperative saw the environmental benefits of this natural gum alternative and recently decided to start making its own gum using only chicle gum base and natural flavorings and sweeteners, Chicza said.

Chicza launches this week in Britain, where chewing gum litter is such an epidemic that British parliamentarians called for gum taxes and offenders can be fined more than $100 for discarding gum on the street.

According to Westminster City Councilor Danny Chalkley, "It's an incredibly expensive and time-consuming task, so anything that could reduce the problem is very welcome indeed."

We at InventHelp know that while no single invention can resolve the crisis of global warming and pollution, many innovations working together creates a larger impact that's greater than the sum of its parts. Until next Earth Day, check back with our InventHelp blog for the latest eco-innovations!

Back to April 2009 Newsletter