The MaxVac Gladiator

Southend City Council’s environmental partner Veolia has recently completed an enhanced programme of street cleansing activities using Gladiator power.

A high-tech gum removal machine, the MaxVac Gladiator, was recently in operation across the City thanks to receiving a grant from the Chewing Gum Taskforce, administered by the charity Keep Britain Tidy.

In the three-month programme, Veolia’s street cleansing team have utilised the Gladiator over 150 hours to remove chewing gum residues from the length of Southend High Street and adjacent roads, covering a distance of over 1.7 miles.

The Gladiator is a state-of-the-art machine developed to remove all traces of gum in an eco-friendly way, using a combination of brushes, steam and a plant-based water additive. As everything the street cleansing crews need is contained and not carried separately, it helps them operate more easily.

This programme is one of the several innovative trials delivered by Veolia and Southend City Council in recent years.

Other trials have involved the use of cutting-edge technology to improve efficiencies such as litter bins equipped with connected sensors along the seafront and new methods of communicating to residents in Westcliff to ensure the success of the gully and drain cleansing programme.

The focused cleansing programme took place from February to April. In 2022, a previous grant from the Chewing Gum Taskforce had funded two chewing gum removing backpack units that had been used by Veolia operatives to cleanse chewing gum residues around Southend’s travel hot spots, including train stations and bus stops across the City.

Coun Lydia Hyde, Cabinet Member for Climate, Environment and Waste, at Southend Council said : “Residents regularly tell us how important it is to them that have clean public spaces they can enjoy, and are keen to see us taking action to improve our street scene.

“This novel new gum-battling machine does just that, cleaning up our high street and making it more pleasant destination for shopping, dining, and socialising.

“This supports the ambition of this administration to build a city we can be proud of.”

Ilana Shaw, General Manager for Veolia Southend said: “At Veolia, we strive to find innovative ways to deliver ecological transformation and have been delighted to have the opportunity to trial this machine here in Southend.

“The feedback from the crews and members of the public alike has been very positive and we are pleased to see the progress it has made in removing chewing gum residues from the High Street.

“If you see our street cleansing or collection crews out and about, please continue to be patient and respectful towards them and always be StreetKind.”

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