Treehugger.com explored the ingredients in chewing gum and found that the list has long since strayed from the original ingredient: chicle, which was derived from tree sap. Author Mary Jo Rudy found that the ingredient list includes gum base: "The precise ingredients in "gum base" are a trade secret, but they may include any of 46 FDA-approved products including plastics, natural latex, synthetic rubber, wood glue, vegetable oil, and talc."* Because plastic is part of this list, chewing gum is not considered completely biodegradable. In addition, "according to GetGreenNow, 80-90% of chewed gum is disposed of improperly; most is dropped on the ground or stuck onto a surface. This means that thousands of pounds of gum are entering the litter stream every year,"* negatively impacting wildlife that mistakenly consume it.
As an alternative, Rudy lists gum manufacturers including Simply Gum, Chicza, Glee Gum, and Chewsy that use chicle to make a biodegradable gum.
*Lisa Jo Rudy, August 11, 2021, "Is chewing gum biodegradable? A look at its ingredients," www.treehugger.com
original article can be found here
As an alternative, Rudy lists gum manufacturers including Simply Gum, Chicza, Glee Gum, and Chewsy that use chicle to make a biodegradable gum.
*Lisa Jo Rudy, August 11, 2021, "Is chewing gum biodegradable? A look at its ingredients," www.treehugger.com
original article can be found here
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