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Southampton Airport in Hampshire, UK has installed chewing gum recycling bins, becoming the first airport in the world to install it.

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Amey, the airport’s cleaning and maintenance provider has installed 25 of these gum recycling bins, dubbed as Gumdrops at key points throughout the passenger terminal building. These bins are eye-catching with a bubble gum pink colour, and are positioned at key areas with high levels of gum littering, such as in the toilets and near the main airport entrance.

All the recycling units are self-sustaining as the chewing gums that will be thrown into them would be recycled and used to make more units. This is aimed to prevent people from dropping gum on the floor and reduce cleaning costs. These bins are expected to reduce cleaning and maintenance costs by up to £9,000 ($14,499) a year.

The Gumdrop is the brainchild of Anna Bullus from West Sussex. The process is the first in the world that allows gum to be recycled into a new useful material.

Amey is now looking to roll out Gumdrops at other facilities management contract sites nationwide, including Heathrow Terminal 4 which is currently trialling the bins in the arrivals forecourt, and Heathrow Terminal 5. Other venues that have embraced the Gumdrop include Legoland Windsor, Hereford town council and Virgin Trains.