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Negotiated Agreements

On foot of the 2003 Litter Monitoring Body Report, a consultancy study was commissioned to carry out a comprehensive and objective analysis on the application of economic instruments (including environmental levies) on chewing gum, fast food packaging and automated teller machine (ATM) receipts as a means of minimising the litter problems caused by such items.

Over the course of the study, the consultants considered three principal options as a means of tackling the specified litter categories:

  • voluntary agreements,
  • negotiated agreements and
  • mandatory levies


Chewing Gum


A negotiated agreement was concluded between the Department and representatives of the Chewing Gum Industry in January 2006.  It is a joint initiative to achieve a lasting solution to our gum litter problem.  Its main focus is on a range of public awareness campaigns and education programmes to highlight the problem and encourage proper gum disposal. The initiative is for a three year period (2007-2009), and the Chewing Gum Industry is contributing €6 million towards education and awareness initiatives over this period and a further €1million towards research into the adhesive qualities of gum in partnership with University College Dublin.


In brief, the agreement provides for:

  • An Annual Media Campaign
  • A Web-site
  • An Education and Grants Programme
  • Point of Sale Initiatives
  • Local Authority Awareness/Education/Enforcement Initiatives
  • A Research and Development Grant


The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government is represented on the Gum Litter Taskforce (GLT) which was established in March 2006 to oversee and drive forward the various elements of the agreement. The GLT is supported by a full-time executive provided by the Industry.


The first national media campaign was launched in 2007 with 15 local authorities involved. The 2008 campaign was expanded to involve 21 local authorities. The 2009 campaign has further expanded to include 30 Local authorities. The main feature of the 2009 campaign is a series of posters showing the iconic ‘bin man’ image together with a clear warning about the possibility of a €150 fine for dropping gum The campaign has been rolled out nationally through a variety of media formats such as six-sheet posters, 48-sheet posters, commuter cards, national and regional radio and bus T-sides and Luas straps in Dublin. Mobile Bluetooth advertising and competitions are also running in selected areas. Merchandise, including pens, baseball caps, t-shirts and umbrellas, has been made available to participating local authorities, while a number of retailers are also supporting the campaign. Iarnród Éireann is also participating through their Irish Rail and DART networks.


The awareness measures in the media campaign are complemented by a specially designed and fully researched gum-litter awareness pack for post-primary schools.  The awareness  pack, called Bin It! contains teacher notes, activity cards, resource cards, posters and an interactive website www.chewitbinit.com An ‘Actor Tour’ Presentation has also been designed to complement the resource pack. To date, over 10,000 students have taken part in the actor tour programme.


Useful links:


Gum Litter Taskforce - http://www.gumlittertaskforce.ie/
Gum Litter Awareness Website - http://www.chewitbinit.com/


ATM Receipts


ATM advice slips are not a significant element of litter pollution nationwide, but they can build up around ATM machines and become very unsightly, particularly in urban areas.


Agreement was reached by the Department at the end of December 2006 with the Irish Banking Federation (IBF), acting on behalf of retail banking groups with ATM networks, on a Protocol to tackle the problem of litter caused by ATM advice slips. The Protocol also contains a general commitment on behalf of bank branches to monitor cleanliness around their premises and to keep these areas free of litter. This agreement was launched by Minister Roche and the Chief Executive of the Irish Banking Federation (IBF) on 10 January 2007.


The Protocol contains three agreed measures as follows:

  1. Changes in the software on ATM machines to help reduce the number of receipts generated.  If a customer requires a receipt, they will have to go through a sequence of on-screen commands in order to get one.
  2. Provision of an on-screen message reminding customers to dispose of their advice slips responsibly.
  3. Sign-up by the banks to a suite of good-housekeeping measures to deal with litter caused by ATM advice slips around their branches.


The full text of the agreed protocol can be read at the IBF website:


Fast Food Packaging

Negotiations with the fast-food sector to tackle the problem of litter caused by fast-food packaging are ongoing.