You’ve probably seen globs of chewing gum stuck to the sidewalk. The main ingredient in gum is often a rubber-like material that doesn’t biodegrade. So those gross clumps can last a long time. Recently, two French design school students came up with a unique plan to keep gum off the streets. They’re recycling it and turning it into skateboard wheels!
Hugo Maupetit and Vivian Fischer installed a collection of signs on the streets of Nantes, France. People stuck their chewed gum to the boards instead of throwing it out—or tossing it on the ground. Then the pair collected the gum, which they had cleaned, melted, and molded into colorful wheels.
Maupetit says he hopes his project encourages other people to come up with their own creative ways to help the environment.
“I hope it can inspire people not to limit themselves in what they can recycle,” he says.