There are people all over the UK getting up in arms about a seemingly recent problem inflicted on us by our postmen: the dropping of red rubber bands on our pavements, garden paths and porches. In one unfortunate case, one of the bands was seen around the neck of a duck. So what's going on?
Rumours about postmen dropping the items in order to 'find their way home' have circulated, but more worryingly, some postmen have claimed off-the-record that they are advised to drop the rubber bands which they are told will 'biodegrade'; a theory we are going to conduct an experiment to test in coming weeks. We've got a genuine, Post Office issue rubber band immersed in water in our kitchen and will be monitoring its progress.
So, have you encountered this 'plague' of rubber bands? Have there been more of them recently, and what are you doing about this? You could always make a rubber band ball or collect them for future use, but that's only if they haven't already been chanced upon by a passing animal or bird.
Or do you work for the Post Office and can confirm or deny the rumour that employees are being instructed to simply discard the bands where they fall? We need to know!
They should leave them in the porches or post them through with the letters... then the market for rubber bands that you have to purchase will collapse. I have been collecting them for years and have more than I need.
If they dont want to think about the environmental side of their actions maybe they should look at the financial?I want to know how much money Royal mail spend on elastic bands that they simply throw away instead of re-using!?
They may degrade when exposed to UV light (sunlight); I don't think water/kitchen sink will yield the same results as being left on the pavement in the sun.
Still, it seems odd at best to just drop them on the ground and wait for them to biodegrade.
I think they're great, enjoy finding them, then wear them on my wrist.
I think they're great, enjoy finding them, then wear them on my wrist.
Did it end up degrading?
Did it end up degrading?
Oh no...it's still as red, rubbery and un-degraded as ever. I suspect we'll be in for a long wait!
Good news! Royal Mail have decided to do something about the rubber band problem. The company's set-up a recycling department to deal with rubber bands discarded by postal workers across the county. You can now send them, free of charge, to: Royal Mail, Rubber Band Recycling Department, Freepost, Tomb Street, Belfast BT1 1AA.
Maybe they bio-degrade, maybe they don't. The postmen are still littering streets and gardens when they drop them with no consideration to the environment. If any member of the public dropped a piece of (bio-degradable) paper on the streets then they are committing an offence and could be prosecuted. Indeed if it is willful littering then they SHOULD be prosecuted. The same applies to postmen dropping the bands. Alas it doesn't happen though! I feel it appropriate to return the bands to the post office by simply picking them up and putting them in the nearest post box that I find.
Come on Post Office - have you not heard of recycling then? What is it within your system that you don't think recycling these things isn't necessary???
My kids can't find enough of them, to make their rubber band, even myself and my husband are always on the lookout for them when the dog goes walkies
The kids can't find enough of them, to make their rubber band ball, even myself and my husband are always on the lookout for some, even when the dog needs walkies, my daughter found 27 in 1 day and was delighted, so as a mum i say leave them where they fall, as there is always a child round the corner looking for them
In theory you should be able to write the above freepost address directly onto the rubber band and pop it straight into the postbox
I deliver leaflets round our village once a fortnight - 750 thro 750 letter boxes, so I stand at more than the average number of front doors! In the course of my ramble, last weekend i spotted 43 bands. If that is representative, then thats 0.057 bands per household. I understand that in 2006 there were approx 21 million households in the UK................thats 1,197,000 on the ground at any one time!!! Mind boggling! Come on you Posties!
Recycle the rubber-bands? I have an idea that might shock you. Postmen/women shouldn't throw them away but take them back to the office so that they can be used again! Recycling involves more time and energy which is completely pointless for a perfectly functional rubber-band. Do you believe that these items are free to the Post Office? I know that the cost of millions of discarded bands affects their profits. Most of these comments suggest a complete apathy and ignorance to the wasteful nature of the Post Office and the population in general.
Recycle the rubber-bands? I have an idea that might shock you. Postmen/women shouldn't throw them away but take them back to the office so that they can be used again! Recycling involves more time and energy which is completely pointless for a perfectly functional rubber-band. Do you believe that these items are free to the Post Office? I know that the cost of millions of discarded bands affects their profits. Most of these comments suggest a complete apathy and ignorance to the wasteful nature of the Post Office and the population in general.
Recycle the rubber-bands? I have an idea that might shock you. Postmen/women shouldn't throw them away but take them back to the office so that they can be used again! Recycling involves more time and energy which is completely pointless for a perfectly functional rubber-band. Do you believe that these items are free to the Post Office? I know that the cost of millions of discarded bands affects their profits. Most of these comments suggest a complete apathy and ignorance to the wasteful nature of the Post Office and the population in general.
Recycle the rubber-bands? I have an idea that might shock you. Postmen/women shouldn't throw them away but take them back to the office so that they can be used again! Recycling involves more time and energy which is completely pointless for a perfectly functional rubber-band. Do you believe that these items are free to the Post Office? I know that the cost of millions of discarded bands affects their profits. Most of these comments suggest a complete apathy and ignorance to the wasteful nature of the Post Office and the population in general.
Recycle the rubber-bands? I have an idea that might shock you. Postmen/women shouldn't throw them away but take them back to the office so that they can be used again! Recycling involves more time and energy which is completely pointless for a perfectly functional rubber-band. Do you believe that these items are free to the Post Office? I know that the cost of millions of discarded bands affects their profits. Most of these comments suggest a complete apathy and ignorance to the wasteful nature of the Post Office and the population in general.
Recycle the rubber-bands? I have an idea that might shock you. Postmen/women shouldn't throw them away but take them back to the office so that they can be used again! Recycling involves more time and energy which is completely pointless for a perfectly functional rubber-band. Do you believe that these items are free to the Post Office? I know that the cost of millions of discarded bands affects their profits. Most of these comments suggest a complete apathy and ignorance to the wasteful nature of the Post Office and the population in general.
Sorry for the repeats. I did not get any confirmations only errors! Damn Virgin Media!
The test to see if they will biodegrade is unsuitable you would be better to leave it outside in your garden and see what happens.