CHEWING GUM

When you put a chewing gum in your mouth you are chewing a plastic with some sweeteners, flavourings and colorants.

One of the most used plastic polimers in the chewing gum manufacturing is polyvinyl acetate (PVA), which is also the main component of the white wood glue, and some paints and adhesives.

Originally, the gum base was the naturally gummy syrup extracted from the tree Manilkara zapota, but nowadays the synthetic plastic polymers are prefered, and nearly all chewing gum is produced using them as a base.

Estimates are that 560.000 of chewing gum are consumed over the world every year.

Watch this video to know how the chewing gum is produced:

It's important to be aware that chewing gum, being made from a synthetic polymer is not biodegradable, so if you happen to throw it to the pavement it will remain there forever, unleast it is removed. Removing chewing gum from the pavement is a difficult task and costs a lot of money to the city councils.

Is it not disgusting to find the streets full of sticky patches?

[Translated and adapted from  http://tecnoloxia.org/]