The Adelaide City Council is still spending about $200,000 a year cleaning chewing gum off footpaths more than three years after it launched a crackdown against the product.

The council says the amount of discarded gum is growing in the city and North Adelaide and is a particular problem in Rundle Mall.

In 2009, the council asked gum manufacturer Wrigley's to pay for some of the cost of removing the gum and even considered a ban on sales of the product in CBD shops.

The council's manager of public realms, Tom McCready, says while people are generally responsible with other types of litter, gum is still dropped in areas with heavy foot traffic.

"We are seeing that chewing gum is certainly increasing in the public realm and it's less suitable to detect in the first instance," he said.

"It's easy to see a piece of paper that's been dropped and whatever but chewing gum is one of these ones that's gradually building up.

"Along Hindley Street, Rundle Mall, Rundle Street, around near bus stops, train stations where you get a large gathering of people waiting to come into the city."

Mr McCready says for such a simple product, gum is surprisingly resilient.

"Chewing gum is one of these anomalies where it doesn't seem to meet the bin too quickly and we see it hit the pavement and eventually it darkens and eventually we have to remove it," he said.

"It is an individual treatment on each piece of chewing gum where they apply hot steam to remove and it's quite laborious."

Mr McCready says it is unlikely the city will follow Canberra's lead and set up a wall where chewers can stick their used gum.

"I don't know if it's a badge of honour or a badge of shame but it's certainly an interesting concept and we've had a look at it but I think the best way is to actually educate people and change their behaviours."