MRM.COM: Do you know why it's important we reuse our elastic bands?

ScousePostie · Post by **ScousePostie** » 28 Mar 2017, 14:14

The sound of 'OW!' around bundle-up time is a daily occurrence.

daveyeff · Post by **daveyeff** » 28 Mar 2017, 15:17

Natagora wrote:
LouBarlow wrote:We always have the bigger bands in stock. They are far better suited to the job IMO.

Correct. Our office has used them for about four years now and they last for a hell of a long time (like, months) because they're not getting stretched to their limit. They're the perfect size for this job.

I asked the DOM today why don't they give us the bigger ones.....his reply. ...they are NOT for use in the D.Os. only the mail centres are allocated the larger ones. bullshit!!

DirtyHarry · Post by **DirtyHarry** » 28 Mar 2017, 15:47

Royal Mail wastes £££s and saves pennies. Always been their way, and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

answer=42 · Post by **answer=42** » 28 Mar 2017, 16:10

However crap they are there is no excuse for chucking them around the streets or on peoples doorsteps. Go round some walks and you can see where the lazy sods operate, trails of bands around the loops they work regularly. I'd like to see them get done for littering, sometimes a good smack in the wallet is all some people understand.

Decky Boy · Post by **Decky Boy** » 28 Mar 2017, 16:17

Where I work dogs (and humans) s**t and piss (and more) on the pavements and in tower block stairs. If I knowingly drop a band or two I nearly always pick it up.... I won't be picking up random bands I find in the street

BeamishStout · Post by **BeamishStout** » 28 Mar 2017, 16:31

Decky Boy wrote:Where I work dogs (and humans) s**t and piss (and more) on the pavements and in tower block stairs. If I knowingly drop a band or two I nearly always pick it up.... I won't be picking up random bands I find in the street

I agree. If I knowingly drop or break a band out on delivery I will pick it up there and then. But the scenario you've stated was exactly what my missus also pointed out yesterday. So yes I will continue to do my bit by picking up bands that I've dropped but as for clearing up after others .....

unless RM provide me with gribber-grabbers

jetblack · Post by **jetblack** » 28 Mar 2017, 19:37

greengiant wrote:
jetblack wrote:
POSTMAN wrote:]In 2015, we bought 718 million elastic bands, enough to circle the Earth 1.6 times
Just as a matter of interest would that be 1.6 times around the earth when taut ? Or when "flacid" ?
Or when snapped and stretched out?

Snapped and stretched out - that sounds like the story of my life.

Still, I suppose its better than being snapped and flacid

BTW - if the bands circle the Earth 1.6 times (wether flacid or erect, it matters not) at what speed are they achieving this feat ?

Whilst "circle" might on occasion be appropriately used as a verb, I reckon you'll find that for anyone with a subtle (yet definitive) grasp of the language the word you are looking for would be "encircle" - it kind of removes the ambiguity, if you see what I mean - you f***ing pseudo intellectual 10 bob millionaire "management" dimwits

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 28 Mar 2017, 19:47

But how many bands would it take to englobe the oblate spheroid called Earth.

jetblack · Post by **jetblack** » 28 Mar 2017, 20:39

TrueBlueTerrier wrote:But how many bands would it take to englobe the oblate spheroid called Earth.

Nuff said.

Kings Norton · Post by **Kings Norton** » 28 Mar 2017, 20:45

Saving the environment is it the bikes was fine but now everyone has vans and the poor hedgehogs are getting poisoned out there with the fumes..

kingeric · Post by **kingeric** » 28 Mar 2017, 22:14

ScousePostie wrote:The sound of 'OW!' around bundle-up time is a daily occurrence.

Sounds like a very polite office compared to what is said in our office.

Mr Rush · Post by **Mr Rush** » 04 Apr 2017, 21:59

answer=42 wrote:However crap they are there is no excuse for chucking them around the streets or on peoples doorsteps. Go round some walks and you can see where the lazy sods operate, trails of bands around the loops they work regularly. I'd like to see them get done for littering, sometimes a good smack in the wallet is all some people understand.

The nice ribbon that ties up the experience of having your walk lapsed is getting blamed for all the elastic bands colleagues leave scattered on the streets.

Post by **ysbrydtawel** » 06 Apr 2017, 22:12

jetblack wrote:
POSTMAN wrote:]In 2015, we bought 718 million elastic bands, enough to circle the Earth 1.6 times
Just as a matter of interest would that be 1.6 times around the earth when taut ? Or when "flacid" ?

Circumference of the Earth is 40,075 km, multiplied by 1.6 gives 64,120 km or 6,412,000,000 cm.

6,412,000,000 divided by 718,000,000 gives 8.93 cm per elastic band - so I would guess we're talking about a small elastic band that's been stretched slightly, but not to full capacity?

lightningpostman · Post by **lightningpostman** » 07 Apr 2017, 16:23

POSTMAN wrote:https://www.myroyalmail.com/news/2017/0 ... your-bands

We use millions of elastic bands every year. Discarding these bands on the street is harmful to the environment and wildlife, costs money and is damaging to our reputation – but this needn’t be the case.

Our policy around reusing elastic bands and not littering remains a top priority for us.

Did you know…

In 2015, we bought 718 million elastic bands, enough to circle the Earth 1.6 times, costing the business £1.4 million?
Elastic bands present a threat to the environment. Hedgehogs and other animals can be injured or killed if they get tangled in discarded elastic bands.
Littering elastic bands can also lead to a £1,000 fine, for which colleagues would be personally liable.
Acting responsibly

There are a number of mail centres leading the way in reusing elastic bands and supplying their local delivery offices with used bands.

We are rolling out a process in the coming weeks that will formalise best practice relating to the reuse of elastic bands across mail centres and delivery offices.

Our procurement team is monitoring the number of orders and we are keeping a record of the savings made as a result.

Everyone has a responsibility towards the environment to pick bands up that have been dropped and reuse them following the safety instructions.

Please look out for more information about the new process and some dos and don'ts in Courier, RMtv and WTLLs in the coming weeks.

what a pile of crap,

the bands are clearly labeled single use only.

they can put a sock in it

jetblack · Post by **jetblack** » 07 Apr 2017, 16:54

ysbrydtawel wrote:
jetblack wrote:
POSTMAN wrote:]In 2015, we bought 718 million elastic bands, enough to circle the Earth 1.6 times
Just as a matter of interest would that be 1.6 times around the earth when taut ? Or when "flacid" ?
Circumference of the Earth is 40,075 km, multiplied by 1.6 gives 64,120 km or 6,412,000,000 cm.

6,412,000,000 divided by 718,000,000 gives 8.93 cm per elastic band - so I would guess we're talking about a small elastic band that's been stretched slightly, but not to full capacity?

Well, to be perfectly honest, I'd say they should recalculate the figure using either a fully flacid elastic band or one stretched to its limit. Because, at the minute we are in the grey zone, no-mans land - which makes the quoted figure of no use to man nor beast. Unless they can cite both the length of the band when flacid and the exact force exerted on said band to achieve the partial extension then they need to go back to the drawing board I'd say.

Where's the union on this ? I don't pay my subs to have this kind of bullshit philosophical vagueness thrust upon me.

I may put in a grievance