Netherlands Pushes EU Ban on Plastic Chewing Gum
The Dutch government has formally proposed an EU-wide ban on the sale of chewing gum containing plastic or microplastics, submitting its proposal to the European Commission as part of the ongoing review of the bloc’s Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD). The initiative, led by State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management Annet Bertram, aims to tackle the environmental pollution caused by microplastics released when discarded gum degrades on streets and in public spaces.
According to NOS, the Dutch public broadcaster, the proposal would permit only chewing gum made with natural ingredients. A ban could take effect no earlier than 2030, following the completion of the SUPD evaluation and subsequent legislative process, which is expected to conclude by mid-2027.
The Scale of the Problem
The Netherlands chews approximately 3.5 million kilograms of gum annually. Chewing gum accounts for 13% of all litter in the Netherlands, according to Rijkswaterstaat data, and 15% of litter in the neighboring Belgian region of Flanders, as reported by VRT NWS. It is the second most common form of litter after cigarette filters.
Conventional chewing gum is made with synthetic polymers — essentially food-grade plastic — derived from petroleum. It takes 20 to 100 years to decompose, and discarded gum continuously releases microplastics into the environment. Natural chewing gum, made from tree sap and plant-based wax, breaks down significantly faster, with estimates ranging from several weeks to 10 years.
Municipalities Struggle with Cleanup
Dutch municipalities have been vocal supporters of the ban, describing current cleanup efforts as futile. “Municipalities can continue cleaning and running behavior-change campaigns, but that is like mopping with the tap running,” an NVRD (Dutch Association for Waste and Cleaning Services) spokesperson told NOS. “Chewing gum may seem like a small problem, but it is a persistent form of litter for municipalities. A piece of discarded chewing gum gets trampled flat and remains there for years.”
In The Hague, cleaning crews remove gum from the busy Grote Marktstraat every working day, but the effort is Sisyphean. “People keep throwing it on the street,” said Leen Pronk, team coordinator of The Hague Cleaning Service. “After two weeks, everything is full again.”
The Hague Alderman for Environment, Arjen Kapteijns, revealed that cleaning just that single street costs €150,000 per year. “We see that campaigns to change behavior are not working sufficiently,” he told NOS.
Removing discarded gum is labor-intensive, typically requiring specialized steam cleaners and solvents. In heavily affected areas such as the Lijnbaan in Rotterdam, workers sometimes resort to old-fashioned putty knives attached to poles.
Industry Opposition
The proposal has drawn sharp criticism from confectionery industry associations. The VBZ (Dutch Confectionery Industry Association) and ICGA Europe (International Chewing Gum Association - Europe) called the proposed ban “disproportionate” and said it “misses the mark,” as reported by both NOS and VRT NWS.
VBZ described it as “an unprecedented measure with consequences for consumers, producers, and the Dutch confectionery industry.” The industry groups argue that the SUPD was intended for packaging and vaping products, not food items like chewing gum — a legal distinction they consider critical.
Scientific Context
The proposal comes amid growing scientific evidence about microplastics in chewing gum. A study presented at the American Chemical Society Spring 2025 meeting by UCLA researchers found that both conventional and “natural” chewing gum release microplastics into saliva when chewed. Remarkably, 94% of microplastics are released within the first eight minutes of chewing, and daily chewers could ingest approximately 30,000 microplastics per year. The same synthetic polymers were found in both types of gum, suggesting contamination during manufacturing — a finding that adds complexity to the debate.
Fallback Position and Broader Context
If an EU-wide ban cannot be achieved, the Dutch government wants chewing gum manufacturers to pay for cleanup costs through an extended producer responsibility scheme. “Then at least we can be reimbursed for the high costs we are currently incurring,” Kapteijns told NOS.
The chewing gum proposal is part of a broader Dutch push for stricter plastic regulations. The Netherlands is also advocating for bans on cigarette filters, plastic disposable vapes, plastic ice cream and lollipop sticks, disposable cup lids, plastic bread clips, artificial snow, and plastic confetti, as documented in the Dutch government’s submission to the European Commission.
What’s Next
The European Commission is expected to complete its evaluation of the SUPD within the next year. The outcome will depend on the Commission’s assessment, negotiations among member states, and approval by the European Parliament. Municipalities remain optimistic, pointing to successful precedents with other single-use plastic items such as cotton swabs, straws, and stirrers. However, the industry’s argument that chewing gum is a food product — unlike previously banned items — may complicate the legal pathway.
State Secretary Bertram emphasized that the proposal is “primarily based on environmental considerations,” not health concerns. As the NL Times reported, the Dutch government is determined to pursue the ban, whether through EU-wide legislation or, failing that, by making manufacturers foot the cleanup bill.