Here's another prime example of a disposable convenience product that is basically garbage as soon as it hits the retail shelf, and pretty much garbage for the rest of eternity.
Forever stuck to NYC sidewalks, stuck under chairs, in school desks, and under the soles of your shoes, those chewed-up pieces of gum will be around longer than you or I. How old do you think those stains on subway platforms are, 50-100 years old? Even if someone comes along and scrapes them off, they'll still be a permanent mess somewhere else, ultimately, in a landfill. The New York Times identified the problem of chewing gum litter removal over 10 years ago (great article); the UK has also considered an initiative for disposing of gum in special bins. There has been some recognition of this fact, so it seems, and a call for patentable, more quickly degradable products that are easier to clean up, but has anyone really taken it up? I haven't heard of anything lately, and in fact; gum marketing aims at making gum last even longer (flavor, that is). (See Stride commercials.) If they *really* wanted to make money, gum companies should produce natural gum-based products that quickly degrade and are easily to clean up.
Chewing gum gives health benefits such as stress relief, improved concentration, and an increase in calorie burning of ~10 calories/hour. But the increased motion of chewing can disrupt orthodontic correction, moving teeth, so don't chew if you have braces. If you're going to chew gum, at least dispose of it responsibly - in its wrapper, and into a bin.
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