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Everyday swaps

Plastic-free chewing gum

Most chewing gum base is a synthetic polymer, which is why it never disappears from pavements; natural chicle gum is the alternative.

Swap out
Conventional chewing gum
Swap in
Plant-based chicle gum in paper, or none
Impact
1 / 5
Cost
2 / 3
Effort
1 / 3
Grams of plastic avoided per person per year
120
Watch out for
Per-piece polymer weight is an estimate; natural gum loses flavour faster and costs more.

Choose gum made with natural chicle or other plant gum base, sold in paper or cardboard, or skip gum altogether. Bin it, never spit it.

Conventional gum base is a blend of synthetic polymers; at roughly 0.4 g of polymer per piece, a piece a day is around 120 g of plastic a year going into bins, drains and pavements. Brands certified under the Plastic Free Certification scheme run by A Plastic Planet and Control Union include gum makers.

The catch: natural gum loses flavour faster and costs more; check for Plastic Free certification rather than trusting a natural label.

Page updated 22 September 2026. How we check sources