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.

Posted by: Nate | April 4, 2008 12:36 PM

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!?

Posted by: Carly | April 4, 2008 4:08 PM

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.

Posted by: stef | April 5, 2008 12:05 AM

I think they're great, enjoy finding them, then wear them on my wrist.

Posted by: Michael | May 6, 2008 4:31 PM

I think they're great, enjoy finding them, then wear them on my wrist.

Posted by: Michael | May 6, 2008 4:32 PM

Did it end up degrading?

Posted by: rubberband | May 10, 2008 1:38 PM

Did it end up degrading?

Posted by: rubberband | May 10, 2008 1:40 PM

Oh no...it's still as red, rubbery and un-degraded as ever. I suspect we'll be in for a long wait!

Posted by: Abi Silvester | May 12, 2008 11:40 AM

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.

Posted by: Bill Rodgers | July 17, 2009 5:52 PM

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???

Posted by: John | July 25, 2009 9:49 AM

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

Posted by: mumof4 | July 28, 2009 3:51 PM

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

Posted by: mumof4 | July 28, 2009 3:56 PM

In theory you should be able to write the above freepost address directly onto the rubber band and pop it straight into the postbox

Posted by: Barry | August 11, 2009 9:57 AM

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!

Posted by: Bill | January 26, 2010 9:07 AM