Even if you recycle and save electricity, you may be harming the environment in an unexpected way. Chewing gum is the second-most common form of litter after cigarette butts, and 92% of sidewalks in Britain have gum on them.
Disposing of gum in landfills costs more than $2 million annually, and a shocking 80-90% of chewing gum isn’t thrown away. Some countries like Singapore have even banned chewing gum to help avoid litter.
Don’t flush your gum or throw it into the ocean –– fish eat it and it eventually will accumlate toxins inside of the critters.
So what can you do if you want minty fresh breath? Some researchers have developed a special technology that allows gum to be recycled. Until recycling becomes widespread, the best way to dispose of gum is by wrapping it in paper and placing it in the trash can.
In the meantime, it might be a good idea to switch over to mints for a while to help out the environment.
Find out more about nature and the world around us by reading our post on the planet’s oldest trees.