The Benson Group said the carton board shell and slide packaging has a fifth side with a booklet of small papers attached to the pack to enable consumers on the go to wrap the used gum and keep on their person for disposal at a more convenient time.
A spokesperson for the Benson Group told Confectionerynews.com that the fundamentals behind the design were informed by the growing problem of chewing gum litter and that the pack was developed for the new Peppersmith range, which, according to the on pack claims, contains no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives and is aspartame free.
The spokesperson said that the finished pack is the result of extensive collaboration between the brand owners and the Benson design team. He said that it was produced in the group’s Medica pharmaceutical packaging production facility as the team based there had the technical know-how and equipment to enable the tipping in of the booklets.
Labelling equipment at the plant, he added, was modified to allow for the addition of the novel dispenser system.
The packs and the accompanying wrap and throw papers, said the spokesperson are both FSC certified, and he added that the packaging, due to the cost of production per unit, is more suited to the niche chewing gum sector.
Chewing gum litter has been an ongoing environmental problem costing local authorities in the UK the region of £150m a year to high-pressure hose the gum off the streets and public seating.
Since 2003, as part of the UK’s Chewing Gum Action Group (CGAG), chewing gum makers and industry body, the Food and Drink Federation, have been engaging with the Department for Environment, Food and Affairs (DEFRA), the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management and local councils on campaigns to change gum droppers behaviour.
CGAG holds that its annual awareness raising drives ensure greater visibility of penalties for littering and will help change the attitudes of people who dispose of used gum irresponsibly.
However, Irish campaign group Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) claims the only long term solution is for the chewing industry to develop biodegradable alternatives to conventional forms of gum. Last week, it said that industry backed anti-litter campaigns are not working as consumers continue to dispose of gum irresponsibly.
Last week, IBAL called for a levy on chewing gum packs in Ireland, which it claims will encourage gum makers to accelerate research into viable biodegradable forms that break down rapidly in the environment.