Key Takeaways
- Tom Raviv discovered that traditional chewing gum contains petroleum-based plastics, including microplastics.
- His company, Milliways, creates a plastic-free gum using natural ingredients and tree sap.
- Milliways recently secured $3 million in funding and expanded to over 2,000 stores nationwide.
Unexpected Discovery Inspires Change
Tom Raviv had always been conscious about his diet, scrutinizing ingredients in food but neglecting to consider what’s in chewing gum. A simple question prompted him to investigate further: why was he unaware of what he was chewing? Upon researching, he discovered that the main ingredient labeled as “gum base” largely consists of petroleum-derived plastics and polymers, similar to those found in plastic bags and bottles. Studies have shown that a single piece of gum can contain up to 250,000 microplastics.
Shocked by this revelation, Raviv realized he was essentially chewing plastic, which might enter his body as he chewed. This prompted him to found Milliways in 2021, where, amidst juggling his day job and late nights, he transformed his apartment into a makeshift research and development lab.
His quest for a plastic-free alternative led him to experiment with natural tree sap, historically used as a chewing material. Through collaboration with partners, Raviv developed his first product: a gum made from plant-based tree sap featuring no more than seven naturally derived ingredients.
Raviv’s efforts echo a growing concern over the health implications of plastic in gum. A peer-reviewed study published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials indicates that chewing this type of gum can release varying amounts of microplastics and nanoplastics into saliva. This aligns with Raviv’s convictions about the dangers of chewing on plastic: “It’s like chewing on a plastic straw. It doesn’t just disappear.”
A central tenet of Raviv’s mission is transparency—especially in labeling—and he believes that if consumers understood that chewing gum often contains plastic, many would reconsider their choices. His message seems to be resonating; in April 2023, Milliways announced a successful $3 million funding round led by prominent figures from the gum industry, including Mehmet Yüksek and Leon Amram. Since its U.S. launch over a year ago, the brand has expanded into more than 2,000 retail stores.
For Raviv, the growing momentum of Milliways serves as confirmation that even minor, everyday choices can have significant impacts. He emphasizes the importance of individual actions, stating: “It’s not always the big changes. Sometimes it’s the little things you do every day. Those things add up, for better or worse.”
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