The Spanish government has introduced new regulation to make chewing gum less sticky in a bid to reduce the high cost of street cleaning in the country. Following a cabinet meeting last Friday, the government decree, which was aimed at updaing 32-year-old legislation, will ensure chewing gum bases in Spain are derived from a copolymer of vinyl acetate and vinyl laurate. The Spanish authorities said that this copolymer has the benefit of making gum easier to remove from surfaces. Vinyl acetate is a chemical used to build polymers and can be found in glue, plastics, emulsion paints, lacquers, cosmetics and inks.

Barcelona's city hall claims to scrape up 1,800 bits of gum a day from its streets - costing more than €100,000 a year. It has introduced fines of up to €450 for gum-droppers, reports The Guardian. “Chewing gum has been linked with littering for some time (this is why it was subject to a long-term ban in Singapore) and anything the industry can do to reduce this will help its image with the authorities,” said Jonathan Thomas, an analyst at Leatherhead Food Research. “I would expect further innovations in this area,” he told.