Mexican farmers introduced biodegradable non-stick chewing gum from the rainforest
Last updated 4/15/2009 4:11:30 PM
Harvesting gum tree in the rainforest.
Do you know that it takes 17 weeks to remove chewing gum from Oxford Street, but only 10 days for it to be covered again?
It is said that each piece of regular gum costs between 10p – 30p to remove from pavements.
That amounts to a total of £20,000 to £60,000 to clean an average UK town each year. Chewing gum is consumed by 28 million people in this country.
Thankfully, a co-operative of farmers called Consorcio Chiclero from south east Mexico have came up with biodegradable chewing gum after five years of research and development.
The unique chewing gum called, Chicza, is made from totally organic rainforest ingredients that will biodegrade in around six weeks.
In less ideal conditions when disposed of on tarmac or concrete roads and pavements, it will biodegrade in around three months.
Chicza does not stick to pavements or clothes and people can simply to pop it into a pocket or handbag and to take it home, putting it into bio-waste bins or adding it to compost.
By their own value-added efforts, including selling their chewing gum direct to retailers, the farmers will earn six times their former income.
Ii is estimated that around 10,000 people in the rainforest rely on chewing gum farming for their livelihoods.
“Our 2,000 chewing gum farmers are very excited to be launching their brand-new, biodegradable and 100% organic chewing gum in the United Kingdom. They believe that UK consumers will understand and appreciate what they have created and will wish to support this unique rainforest product by buying it,” said Manuel Aldrete, managing director of Chicza.
Many of the chicleros or farmers are of Mayan ancestry and have farmed the rainforest trees for over a century.
The chiclero land covered 1.3 million hectares of rainforest in the Yucatán Peninsula, across the three states of Yucatán, Campeche and Quintana Roo.
Using careful harvesting method, the gum trees can live for up to 300 years.
Chicza is now available at 200 Waitrose branches throughout the UK, Mexican restaurant Wahaca’s branches in Covent Garden and Westfield Shopping Centre in London.
www.chicza.com