The amount of litter caused by chewing gum has been reduced by nearly 60%, according to the Minister for the Environment.
But speaking at the launch of a new awareness campaign, Minister Phil Hogan said he has not ruled out the introduction of a gum tax to deal with the problem.
The campaign will be sponsored by chewing gum manufacturers to the tune of €9.6m over the next three years and involve 23 local authorities nationwide.
Studies have shown that the problem of gum litter has been reduced by 57% since 2008 through previous campaigns.
Wrigley spokeswoman Sian O'Keefe said research has shown that while a special tax is not a deterrent, tackling the root cause of irresponsible gum disposal has produced results.
Dublin's Lord Mayor Andrew Montague attended the launch today and pointed out that Dublin's Grafton St area is due for a multi-million euro upgrade.
He said the city council wanted to keep the streets clean.
