Exploring the Environmental Impact: Is Gum Biodegradable or Not

Chewing gum is a popular treat that can keep your mouth busy for several minutes or even up to an hour or more. But what exactly is in chewing gum? What are the ingredients used in making it, and what are the effects and benefits of chewing gum? Additionally, is chewing gum biodegradable?

Chewing gum for a longer period is one of humanity’s oldest habits. The continuous act of gum chewing is believed to have started thousands of years ago, a habit that still exists to this day.

I used to chew gum more often when I was growing up, but today I hardly put any in my mouth, and sometimes the sound of someone chewing is a bit annoying. That is just my opinion, but gum chewing has its advantages with its stress-relieving qualities. But the question remains, is gum biodegradable?

Is Gum Biodegradable

What Is Chewing Gum?

A simple definition from Wikipedia defines gum as a soft, cohesive substance made for chewing without swallowing.1 Gum is one of the world’s most popular confectioneries – it’s a naturally occurring synthetically fabricated resin or gum sweetened and flavoured with a wide range of ingredients.2

They are worldwide consumable confectionary products chewed for pleasure without the intent of ingesting them. Generally known for its rubbery texture, the various ingredients used in making gum include sugar, polyols, acidulates, colouring agents, gum base, high-intensity sweeteners, flavouring agents, and additives.3

Due to its popularity, chewing gums were ranked third in the overall confectionary market, just behind chocolate and candies.4

Learn more: 10 Biodegradable Soaps for Camping

Chewing Gum Ingredients

Before the mid-1800s, natural latexes such as chile, gutta-percha, mastic gum, jelutong, or resin were the main ingredients used to make traditional gums.

What we have today as gum is made from a synthetic-based rubbery material called polyisobutylene, the same material used to manufacture inner tubes.5 Makers of modern chewing gum use artificial substances instead of natural latex. Every multinational company making gum uses synthetic chemical materials to boost production, improve texture and flavour, and reduce stickiness.

Gums made these days cannot dissolve in the mouth or the stomach due to the hydrophobic nature of synthetic polymers used in the maturing process. Today’s chewing gum is composed of four groups of ingredients that give it the sweetened flavour and texture: polyvinyl acetate, synthetic elastomers, antioxidants, and sweeteners as their key ingredient.6

Modern manufacturers use fillers like calcium carbonate and talc to make gums bigger and heavier. Polymers are another key ingredient which gives the gum its stretchiness.7 Emulsifiers are chemicals which help in the effective mixing of colours and flavours and also reduce gum stickiness. This helps in flavour propagation and better texture of chewing gum.8

Lastly, softeners such as vegetable oil are mainly added to the gum base to improve its chewy texture.

Is Gum Biodegradable?

From my early childhood experience before I heard the word “biodegradable” for the first time, I knew gums were hard to remove from any surface they got stuck on after some time.

Modern manufacturers are using synthetic chemical materials to improve texture and boost the flavour of gums. So, it’s right to say that gums are not fully biodegradable as they contain plastics.

From what I have seen so far, the gum that was freshly sticky after chewing became very hard on the surfaces it stuck to and was difficult to remove. The hardened gum, after weeks or months, will continue to remain in that state for years.

The true nature of their biodegradability is yet to be specifically ascertained. According to experts, a common ingredient used in gum making, butyl rubber polymer, is also a material used in manufacturing rubber tyres. A material like butyl rubber is said to be non-biodegradable.

Non-Biodegradable and Harmful to the Environment

Chewing gum is composed of molecules that are hydrophobic and hydrophilic. A hydrophobic substance naturally repels polar molecules and attracts non-polar items such as dirt. A hydrophilic substance attracts polar molecules and repels non-polar substances.6

The production line involves mixing chemicals that are both hydrophobic and hydrophilic. Freshly disposed gum hardens over time and firmly sticks to concrete and other surfaces making it difficult to remove even with a cleaning solution.9

This occurs due to the gum’s physical characteristics. Improper disposal of gum trash causes gum litter and pollution of a non-biodegradable substance.

Learn more: Are Orbeez Biodegradable?

Does Gum Contain Plastic?

Not everyone is aware of the ingredients used in making bubblegum. The excitement of chewing on different flavours is fun but what are you chewing on?

It may surprise you to know that your favourite bubblegum contains plastic. This is the main reason they don’t biodegrade and become sticky to a surface after they are discarded.

Modern manufacturers are using polymers, a type of synthetic plastic to make gums. Trash bubblegum contributes to plastic waste. It’s considered part of plastic waste as it presently contributes to 100 thousand tons of plastic waste each year.6

Negative Effects of Gum Chewing

Chewing on bubblegum for a lengthy period can activate tension in the jaw, which can trigger Temporo-Mandibular Joint Disorder (TMD).10 Constant chewing of it can also cause gastrointestinal issues according to a study on Improper Disposal of Non-Biodegradable Chewing Gum.6

Bubblegum can trap oral germs, and the artificial sucrose used in making it can be metabolized by oral bacteria, which can demineralize tooth enamel, resulting in dental cavities, according to the American Dental Association (ADA).

Learn more: Biodegradable Glitters for Candles, Soaps, Cosmetics, Face,

Health Benefits of Gum Chewing

Despite the drawbacks of chewing for longer periods, there is good news for bubblegum chewers. According to WebMD, gum chewing may help with dry mouth. Having more saliva in your mouth can help balance acids in the esophagus, thus reducing symptoms of acid reflux.11

Other health benefits of bubblegum chewing include:

  • Memory improvement: Constant chewing helps blood flow to the brain, which may improve one’s memory.11
  • Stops nausea for those feeling sick. Chewing produces more saliva that will help you feel better and eliminate nausea.
  • Burning calories by chewing is possible. According to WebMD, a person may burn up to 11 calories per hour by chewing gum.11

Conclusion

Gum trash pollutes the environment with plastic due to the synthetic chemical materials used in their production. Are they biodegradable? No, they are not biodegradable; instead, they become increasingly adherent over time.

Gum trash adheres firmly to concrete and other surfaces, so much so that it’s difficult to remove even with a cleaning solution.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia contributors. (2024, May 30). Chewing gum. Wikipedia. ↩︎
  2. Meijer, G. W., Grunert, K. G., & Lähteenmäki, L. (2023). Supporting consumers’ informed food choices: Sources, channels, and use of information. In Advances in food and nutrition research (pp. 229–257). ↩︎
  3. Thivya, P., Durgadevi, M., & Sinija, V. R. N. (2021). Biodegradable medicated chewing gum: A modernized system for delivering bioactive compounds. Future Foods, 4, 100054. ↩︎
  4. Thivya, P., Durgadevi, M., & Sinija, V. R. N. (2021). Biodegradable medicated chewing gum: A modernized system for delivering bioactive compounds. Future Foods, 4, 100054. ↩︎
  5. Fisher, L. (2024, July 1). What is chewing gum made of? BBC Science Focus Magazine. ↩︎
  6. Roy, A. S. (2021). Improper Disposal of Non-biodegradable Chewing Gum is One of the Biggest Threats to Our Ecology: A Review. Current World Environment/Current World Environment, 16(3), 916–927. ↩︎
  7. Science in School. (2022, December 15). Materials science to the rescue: easily removable chewing gum – Science in School. ↩︎
  8. Chapdelaine, A. H., Barrett, K. F., Reed, M. A., & Company, W. W. J. (n.d.). WO1990004926A1 – Emulsifiers for flavor prolongation in chewing gum          – Google Patents. ↩︎
  9. Roy, A. S. (2021). Improper Disposal of Non-biodegradable Chewing Gum is One of the Biggest Threats to Our Ecology: A Review. Current World Environment/Current World Environment, 16(3), 916–927. ↩︎
  10. Chewing gum. (n.d.). MouthHealthy – Oral Health Information From the ADA. ↩︎
  11. What to know about chewing gum. (2021, November 27). WebMD. ↩︎

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