Officials are asking visitors arriving on flights to Rome to think twice before carelessly spitting out their chewing gum. Meanwhile, a new Roman campaign launched on Tuesday aims to clear the sticky stuff from city streets and historic sites.

The bubble gum crusade started at historic Largo Argentina, home to four ancient temples.  Volunteers there from the organization “Noi Per Roma” (translated to “Us For Rome“) donned gloves and used a little elbow grease to clear gum from walls and pavements.

According to a report in the Montreal Gazette, more than 15,000 sticks of gum are discarded on the streets of the city every day.

The new campaign is just one of many aimed at cleaning up Rome which in the past has been criticized for cleanliness.

CC Flickr photo credit: Beatrice Murch