14 DAY TRIAL // A private company has yesterday, October 4, launched the first degradable, easily removable chewing gum in the world. Once used, the gum can easily be separated from a host of surfaces.
The manufacturer for the new product tested the gum, and determined that it can be removed readily from a host of surfaces, such as carpets, clothes, transport fabrics,s side walks and so on.
Additionally, it was also demonstrated that the produce can disintegrate into a very fine powder within six months of being consumed. The process only requires mild agitation in water.
Generally, bubble and chewing gum is a pain to remove from wherever it falls or adheres to, because it clings on to surfaces in a very tight manner.
It also takes many years to disintegrate, and be broken apart by microbes or bacteria. This is why the new type of gum is so groundbreaking.
The produced, which is called Rev7, is made by a company called Revolymer, which is a spin-out from the University of Bristol, in the United Kingdom.
The compound that enables the chewing gum to have its amazing properties was originally invented by Terence Cosgrove, who is a chemistry professor at the university.
“This is like a dream come true for me seeing academic research result in a real commercial product,” the expert explains.
“The team at Revolymer has done a brilliant job in making this great tasting, environmentally friendly chewing gum. There are also several other exciting ventures in the pipeline,” he goes on to say.
The professor explains that tests have shown more than 50 percent of this gum can easily be washed off the streets using conventional methods.
Studies have also shown that the gum will degrade into minerals, biodegradable products and inert materials once in the sewers.
At this point, only peppermint and spearmint flavors are available in the United States, but Revolymer plans to release additional flavors in the coming years.
Plans are to reach a level of development and product diversity that would allow the company to compete with established, successful producers.
For the US, the chewing gum market is very lucrative, and is estimated to worth billions of dollars. About 300,000 tons of gum are sold in the United States annually.
“Revolymer is offering a premium product that will change the chewing gum industry significantly,” says the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Revolymer, Chris Tamillo.
“There is both an appetite for this new brand in the US and a willingness to provide consumers with a product that is better for the environment but does not sacrifice on quality,” he concludes.