BRIGHT pink bins to stop people littering their chewing gum on the ground in Colchester are being reinstalled.

Residents will start to see the bins returned to gum litter hotspots across the town centre.

The bins were first installed across 34 hotspots in Colchester town centre as part of a partnership with Gumdrop Ltd back in 2019.

Despite being a roaring success, with gum litter reportedly dropping as much as 81 per cent since their installation, the bins were removed by Colchester Council due to a street furniture licensing row.

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The authority said Essex Highways bosses had insisted the bins’ garish colour was “not in keeping with the local historic character of the town centre”.

The colour couldn’t be changed due to “branding requirements” so the bins were removed whilst alternative options were explored.

However, now the authorities have come together to resolve the “misunderstanding” 

A total of 20 bins will be reinstalled and rotated position every six months.

Simon Crow, Colchester Council's portfolio holder for environment, said: “The Gumdrop bins have proved to be hugely successful in helping to keep the town’s footpaths free of chewing gum over the last 18 months.

"In the first year of the trial, we recorded seeing 48 per cent less gum on our streets, a trend we are committed to seeing continued, which is why I am pleased that the bins are being reinstalled.

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“We are aware that some people are not happy with the colour of the bins, but it is Gumdrop’s trademark colour pink, and they are designed to be recognised so people know to leave gum in them.

“The bins improve the cleanliness of our streets, save money and help the town become more eco-friendly, a scheme we should all be proud to have in our town. They also support our commitment to ensuring a clean and tidy town centre.”

When full, the town centre gumdrop bins are collected by Gumdrop® Ltd and taken for processing to be recycled into new bin inserts, Gumdrop key rings and other recycled items called Gumtec. The bins themselves are also made from recycled gum.