Royal Mail buy a billion elastic bands

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Royal Mail buy a billion elastic bands because posties discard them

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scott ... -21177885/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

ALMOST a billion elastic bands a year have to be bought by Royal Mail because so many are left littering the streets.

The number of red bands used to bundle mail has more than doubled this decade, leaving the cash-strapped organisation with an annual bill of nearly £1million.

The Record uncovered the figures after complaints about posties leaving paths, communal areas and gardens strewn with the red bands.

The revelation comes amid Government plans to privatise 30 per cent of the ailing public-owned service.

Last night, environmental groups and politicians slammed bosses over the mess caused by discarded bands.

Animal welfare charities also said the bands have choked ducks. Birds mistake them for worms and cats have needed surgery after eating them.

Green MSP Patrick Harvie said: "If re-using rubber bands could save almost £1million a year in these tough economic times, the Royal Mail should do it.

"The current approach is pretty wasteful.

"Management should be making the existing service more efficient and greener, not trying to get themselves privatised."

Details on the rubber band scandal were obtained under freedom of information laws.

Figures show that last year Royal Mail shelled out £982,677 on 871,695,000 elastic bands - enough to go round the world three times without even stretching them.

That is more than double Royal Mail's pre-2005 number of 342million.

Each band costs Royal Mail a 10th of a penny. The price has risen only slightly in recent years, so the cost rise is mainly down to the increase in the number used.

One postman said: "The bosses changed the bands to the red ones a few years back and said it was so we could spot them more easily if they were dropped.

"But the problem is they are flimsier than the old ones, so they flick off or snap really easily.

"Most of us are really conscientious about picking them up if they fly off, but some do just drop them willy-nilly."

Anti-litter group Keep Scotland Beautiful (KSB) have lobbied RoyalMail over the issue.

KSB spokeswoman Donna Niven said: "They are quite defensive and seem to be trying not to participate with us.

"We need a bit more awareness among postmen and women to encourage them to re-use the bands.

"We would stress to the Royal Mail to come forward and work with us to find a solution."

Ian Futter, the Scottish SPCA's head vet, said: "Discarded rubber bands are certainly a problem.

"If swallowed, they can create an obstruction in the gut which often requires surgery."

Royal Mail would not give a clear explanation for the huge rise in elastic band spending.

A spokeswoman said: "The increase in usage is the requirements for our operation.

"They are designed for recycling and we need our people to help us reduce costs."

[banner18]

Maybe if they didnt snap half the time it would help. A simple solution is to make them a bit larger so that they last longer and don't snap after one usage. I was under the impression that these bands were mainly composed of clay and that they were broken down naturally in the environment.
Strange how theres so many more rubber bands used but so much less mail!

[kwikpost]

all you can hear in our office when we tie up is people swearing as another band snaps.

[rhino49]

These bands are not only used by us - I am very conscientious about not dropping them but they appear on my walk, usually in pairs and frequently in peoples gardens (where I never unwrap bundles)

They have obviously been supplied to leaflet distributors as "used by Royal Mail" and they are slinging them about willy nilly whilst we get the blame.

[tiredwalker]

You can buy red ones in WHSmiths so anyone could get them (Mind you if you test then they are prob much better than ours).

[950calls]

[quote="rhino49"]These bands are not only used by us - I am very conscientious about not dropping them but they appear on my walk, usually in pairs and frequently in peoples gardens (where I never unwrap bundles)

Its your floater..... I can chart exactly where my floater undoes the bundles after my day off :-)

[Stormproof]

I tend to put the bands in my pocket or pouch so hopefully I don't drop any, apart from when I'm getting the van keys out of my pocket. I don't pick the snapped ones up as they tend to ping off in all directions. They are crap, most weeks I have marks all down the inside of my arm where these things snap. Yet again we're on the verge of running out of bands at my office.

[resperin]

i laughed before i even opened the thread up. they'd save so much money with elastic bands that dont break. what fckn idiots. its eveen worse, theyre encouraging us to re-use them when they should go in the bin after being used. once it's been stretched once, theres almost 99% chance it'll snap

alot of coleagues who use short sleeved shirts have druggy like whiplashes all over their arms thanks to these s**t elastic bands

[johnnyp]

I throw mine in to my trolley and when i get back to the office i bin them as they snap if i use them again.

[guvenor]

whats the health and safety line on reusing bands you dont know whos had them or what theve fallen onto oh. wait a min we could all pick up yhe dog shi* that litters streets and resuse that get a grip

[Edward Hunter]

I dont have a problem reusing the bands tbh, sure the odd one snaps which can sting but its not gonna hospitalise you is it? Some of you must make your bundles too big.

[stokes11eg]

These bands are not only used by us - I am very conscientious about not dropping them but they appear on my walk, usually in pairs and frequently in peoples gardens (where I never unwrap bundles)

Its your floater..... I can chart exactly where my floater undoes the bundles after my day off :-)

Yes- this is true. I always feel i have to pick up behind other posties.but they Can almost land you in hospitla if they
burst and flick near the eyes.

[Lounge Lizard]

A billion elastic bands equates nearly to one for every address in the country for each week of the year.
There's no way that we are dropping or breaking that quantity so Royal Mail must be stockpiling them ready for TNT to use in years to come.

[saintsnut]

A billion elastic bands equates nearly to one for every address in the country for each week of the year.
There's no way that we are dropping or breaking that quantity so Royal Mail must be stockpiling them ready for TNT to use in years to come.

Wrong colour!!!!! They will need to be orange Remember the future is bright, it's orange!!!!!!

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Wrong colour!!!!! They will need to be orange Remember the future is bright, it's orange!!!!!!

They exist