The difference between plastic and plastic-free chewing gum

The difference between plastic and plastic-free chewing gum

67% of Dutch people chew gum every now and then. A small piece of gum, often with xylitol and sweeteners. But did you know that gum is often made of plastic? That’s why you can chew on a piece of gum for hours – and why it sticks to the streets forever. Plastic never goes away, and neither does chewing gum.

Plastic chewing gum

Most well-known gum brands use a plastic gum base. It makes your gum elastic and long-lasting – but mainly, it’s cheaper. Plastic is not only low-cost but also harmful to our health. After just one hour of chewing, more than 250,000 microplastics are released. You swallow these tiny particles, and they end up in your body. Strange, isn’t it, that brands don’t have to mention plastic on their packaging? Because plastic has no calories, chewing gum is considered a food product. Listing “gum base” is enough. 86% of Dutch consumers disagree – they believe brands should state it clearly when a product contains plastic.
Do you agree?Sign our petition here* to ban plastic chewing gum.

Plastic-free chewing gum

But it can be done differently. Several brands now offer plastic-free gum. How does that work? Gum is a natural product – a resin from trees and plants. In the 1940s, this was the standard base for all chewing gums. Natural gum is biodegradable and contains no microplastics. You might not be able to chew it for hours (and let’s be honest: plastic gum isn’t tasty after an hour either), but it’s much better for your health and the planet. No microplastics in your body or on the streets – and you still get that fresh breath. Around the 1950s, companies switched to synthetic gum, or plastic. Plastic Soup Foundation believes that can change.
Let’s stop chewing plastic. Join us! Sign our petition here*

With 40,000 signatures we can take this issue to the Dutch Parliament. Together, we can create change!*

*The petition is in Dutch, since we want to ban plastic gum in The Netherlands.