As we all know the Gulf of Mexico is currently covered in oil after the Deepwater Horizon accident. We’re not into bashing BP in these posts – we just hope they plug the leak and clean up the mess as soon as possible. For us though it’s another reminder of why we don’t use petrochemicals in our gum.
A Great Big Mess
In most gums petrochemicals are used to make up the chewy base; a complex mix of up to 30 ingredients the bulk of which is synthetic rubber (the same stuff used to make basketballs and inner tubes). We never liked the idea of chewing on petrochemicals which is why instead we make our gum from chicle – the sap from the Sapodilla tree (Manilkara Zapota). Our chicle is sustainably harvested from the Penten Jungle on the borders of Mexico, Belize and Guatemala. Every 4-5 years, between October and February the sap is tapped from the indigenous trees. As well as being a great natural ingredient, buying chicle also supports the communities of local chicleros (chicle collectors) and so in turn provides incentives to stop further rainforest deforestation (they can make a sustainable income from the trees as opposed to selling the timber and using the land for farming).
The very unscientific process of the chicle sap being collected from the Sapodilla tree
That’s why, despite the cost, we make our gum from natural chicle not synthetic polymers. We think it’s worth it and we hope you do to.
In other news, News
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Bye for now.
