‘Rubber band-gate’ hits Royal Mail

Keep Britain Tidy has criticised Royal Mail for letting posties discard millions of red rubber bands on UK streets, arguing that the three-inch bands are an eyesore and a threat to animals.
Research by the charity found the items on 8 per cent of British streets, more than the proportion affected by dog mess. Commenting on the figures, a Keep Britian Tidy spokeswoman said the red bands may not be as offensive as cigarette ends, but they should clearly be considered as litter.
“By pocketing the rubber bands to use again, not only will this help to keep our streets clean, it will save the Royal Mail money as well,” she commented.
‘Rubber band-gate’ has been sparked by a Daily Telegraph report that Royal Mail has spent almost £5m on 4 billion red rubber bands in the last five years. The figures were released to the Telegraph under the Freedom of Information Act.
The current level of spending works out at £2,840 being spent each day, up 40 per cent from five years ago.
But a Royal Mail spokesman countered: “The vast majority of rubber bands are re-used by our people in delivery offices and mail centres across the UK.”

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