Chewing gum at railway stations to be recycled

Gumdrop bins have been installed at 13 stations across the north-west of England

Chewing gum bins are being put in railway stations and the waste will be recycled into coffee cups and trainer soles.

Train operator Northern has installed the bins at 13 railway stations across Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Cumbria, in a bid to deter customers from littering and encourage recycling.

The bins are also made from discarded chewing gum, by Gumdrop Ltd, which developed a recycling solution for chewing gum waste.

Northern said the gum would also be transformed into other useful products, like stationery.

'Persistent issue'

Bins have been installed at Barrow-in-Furness, Bolton, Buxton, Deansgate, Lea Green, Manchester Victoria, Newton-le-Willows, Salford Central, Salford Crescent, Ulverston, Warrington Central, Whitehaven and Wigan Wallgate train stations.

Craig Harrop, regional director for Northern in the North West, said: "Discarded chewing gum is an expensive and persistent issue for us.

"Its removal is a time-consuming process for our cleaning teams whose time could be better spent on the overall cleanliness and appearance of our stations.

"These new Gumdrop bins will provide our customers with a dedicated disposal point for their chewing gum and help ensure a cleaner environment for all rail users."