Why we should be worried about the microplastics in chewing gum
Many people think it’s a disgusting habit but now scientists believe it’s also bad for your health Every year, the British public munches through around four billion pieces of chewing gum. But what may be less well known is that a significant proportion of that gum comes from the exact same plastic materials that can be found in car tires and shampoo bottles. It’s something that campaigners are looking to change. The group Kids Against Plastic is now calling for the Government to ban sales of all plastic-containing chewing gums to children. At the same time, a parliamentary motion based on a new policy paper, calling for all plastic-based chewing gums to be clearly labelled as such, has been signed by 41 MPs from across the House of Commons. “The proposals are to make everything more transparent and put warning signs which say, ‘This contains plastic, you are consuming plastic,’ so consumers are informed,” says David Jones, a teaching fellow at the University of Portsmouth, and chief e...
