Pretty in Pink - Gumdrop

MoDiPs latest acquisitions - plastic products made from recycled chewing gum.
Currently on display in the AUB library.

An article featured in the March 2016 edition of the British Plastics and Rubber magazine caught my attention. It reported the inspiring story of how Anna Bullus has created a mouldable polymer from recycled chewing gum, a challenge she initially set for herself as part of her final year degree project at the University of Brighton. The idea was to manufacture a bin which would collect chewing gum and subsequently be recycled (with contents) to make new bins in a closed-loop recycling solution. After graduating, Anna spent several years in the lab further experimenting and developing the compound she has now called Gum-tec®, and set up her company Gumdrop Ltd in 2009 to manufacture products from this material. 

Chewing gum facts, courtesy of Gumdrop Ltd ©

Gumdrop Ltd is the first company in the world to recycle and process chewing gum and MoDiP has just acquired their leading product – the Gumdrop. This bright pink, bubble shaped bin has won numerous awards including the British Council's National Design Award in 2007, and since its launch in 2010 has been installed at private companies (Legoland, BAA, Royal Mail), shopping centres, and various towns and cities across the UK. The bins are just being launched in Denmark and are proving to be a great success, currently reducing gum litter by up to 46% in the first 12 weeks of use. 

The Gumdrop in use at Legoland

MoDiP has also acquired some other products made using the Gum-tec® material. They are all bright pink in colour and include promotional items such as a yo-yo, a whistle, ruler and pencils, as well as an Americano mug with an insulated wall to keep your coffee hot. I can’t wait for the production of the wellington boots – gumboots made from recycled gum: ingenious! 

Gum-tec® Americano mug

If you would like to find out more about this multi-award winning concept, visit www.gumdropltd.com and don’t forget that you can view these and many other objects made from sustainable resources at MoDiP.

Katherine Pell (MoDiP Administrator)