Chewing gums: a microplastics problem

Microplastics of only partly degraded chewing gums are washed away by rain and end up in the sea, where fish confuse the particles with their food. Here we explain how this works.

Unbelievable, but true: The gum base of conventional chewing gums is synthetic, i.e. it consists of petroleum derivatives such as polyisobutylenes and polyvinyl acetates, in other words PLASTICS. Chewing gum has the same basis as plastic bottles and car tyres, and world-famous car tyre manufacturers are the largest suppliers of gum bases!

• As we know, plastic does not decay in nature, it only decomposes (after many (!) years) into microplastics.
• Sooner or later, this microplastic is washed away by the rain with the waste water and finally ends up in the sea.
• In the sea, many animals confuse these particles with their actual food and thus pass the microplastics on to their predators. Fish therefore eat these microplastics.
• Sooner or later, these microplastics will be on your plate in the form of a fish and you will eat the microplastics, which may have been chewing gum (or a plastic bottle or a car tyre …).

Fish take up microplastics ©Pixabay

CHEWING GUMS, PLASTIC PACKED IN PLASTIC

The packaging of chewing gum is also largely made of plastic & aluminium.

Both raw materials are non-renewable and therefore do not decay in nature. If disposed improperly, the plastic can become microplastics, just like chewing gum, and end up on your plate (see above).

Chewing gum in aluminium-plastic packaging ©Pixabay (athree23)

In addition, the production of plastics and aluminium requires a lot of energy and the production process also causes environmental pollution. The long transport routes are CO2-intensive and contribute to global warming.

THE ALTERNATIVE: RENEWABLE & UNPACKAGED

Our natural chewing gum - Alpengummi - consists of 100% renewable raw materials, the new gum base is made from local tree resin and beeswax. 100% free of plastic and microplastics!

Our natural chewing gums are packaged in PEFC-certified cardboard 😊 In order to save even more resources, we have recently started offering our natural chewing gums unpackaged (in paper bags and wooden boxes).

Our Alpengummis are now also available unpackaged © Bergfalke GmbH

Chew smart! Chew Alpengummi.