What's happened to rubber bands? About 10% of my mixed stock are in
various stages of decay. I suppose this is something to do with being
eco friendly, but it means I can't trust them any more for holding stuff
together for more than a few weeks.

Can you still buy good ol' rubber bands? What's the decay process of the
eco ones - does they decay from manufacture or is it initiated by the
first stretch?

Phil

"Phil Addison" wrote in message
...
What's happened to rubber bands? About 10% of my mixed stock are in
various stages of decay. I suppose this is something to do with being
eco friendly, but it means I can't trust them any more for holding stuff
together for more than a few weeks.

Can you still buy good ol' rubber bands? What's the decay process of the
eco ones - does they decay from manufacture or is it initiated by the
first stretch?

Phil

On my experience the old ones used to do what I can only describe as 'melt'
and stick to everything.

Modern, presumably plastic, ones keep good for years.

Light doesn't have a good effect on the old ones.

Mary

"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
. net...

"Phil Addison" wrote in message
...
What's happened to rubber bands? About 10% of my mixed stock are in
various stages of decay. I suppose this is something to do with being
eco friendly, but it means I can't trust them any more for holding stuff
together for more than a few weeks.

Can you still buy good ol' rubber bands? What's the decay process of the
eco ones - does they decay from manufacture or is it initiated by the
first stretch?

Phil

On my experience the old ones used to do what I can only describe as
'melt' and stick to everything.

Modern, presumably plastic, ones keep good for years.

Light doesn't have a good effect on the old ones.

Mary

I'm guessing at the decay process, but natural rubber is stabilised by a
process called vulcanisation, whereby sulphur creates cross linking between
the rubber molecules, stabilising them. Remove that sulphur, maybe by a
process of oxidation, I don't know, and possibly a stcky natural rubber is
the result again.

Just a guess,

Andy.

"Andy" wrote in message
...

"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
. net...

"Phil Addison" wrote in message
...
What's happened to rubber bands? About 10% of my mixed stock are in
various stages of decay. I suppose this is something to do with being
eco friendly, but it means I can't trust them any more for holding stuff
together for more than a few weeks.

Can you still buy good ol' rubber bands? What's the decay process of the
eco ones - does they decay from manufacture or is it initiated by the
first stretch?

Phil

On my experience the old ones used to do what I can only describe as
'melt' and stick to everything.

Modern, presumably plastic, ones keep good for years.

Light doesn't have a good effect on the old ones.

Mary

I'm guessing at the decay process, but natural rubber is stabilised by a
process called vulcanisation, whereby sulphur creates cross linking
between the rubber molecules, stabilising them. Remove that sulphur, maybe
by a process of oxidation, I don't know, and possibly a stcky natural
rubber is the result again.

You're right but I didn't want to show off :-)

Mary

Just a guess,

Andy.

Owain wrote in
:

Phil Addison wrote:
Can you still buy good ol' rubber bands?

/Buy/?

I pick up from the pavement the ones dropped by the postpeople.

Me too; but they're just as bad as Phil's - when you want to use them,
they've gone all manky :-(

mike

On 2006-11-02 21:32:03 +0000, Owain said:

Phil Addison wrote:
Can you still buy good ol' rubber bands?

/Buy/?

I pick up from the pavement the ones dropped by the postpeople.

They've changed recently from 'natural' colour to pinky-purple.

Owain

Have they?

Could it be because the weather's turned a bit nippy and they are still
wearing their shorts?

On Thu, 2 Nov 2006 21:32:03 UTC, Owain
wrote:

Phil Addison wrote:
Can you still buy good ol' rubber bands?

/Buy/?

I pick up from the pavement the ones dropped by the postpeople.

The best place to harvest them is the car park of our local delivery
office, near the bike racks.

--
The information contained in this post is copyright the
poster, and specifically may not be published in, or used by
Avenue Supplies, http://avenuesupplies.co.uk

The message
from Owain contains these words:

I pick up from the pavement the ones dropped by the postpeople.

They've changed recently from 'natural' colour to pinky-purple.

Round here they're blue and have been for ages.

--
Skipweasel
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

On Thu, 02 Nov 2006 21:32:03 +0000, Owain
wrote:

Phil Addison wrote:
Can you still buy good ol' rubber bands?

/Buy/?

I pick up from the pavement the ones dropped by the postpeople.

They've changed recently from 'natural' colour to pinky-purple.

There were loads of complaints from the public a while ago about
posties dropping rubber bands all over the place - Royal Mail claim
that they are now bio-degradable.
(Which of course doesn't mean that they aren't unsightly and dangerous
to pets.)

Thirty or forty years ago rubber bands seemed to last for ever -
nowadays it would appear that they're only intended for very
short-term use.

--
Frank Erskine
Sunderland

"Guy King" wrote in message
...
The message
from Owain contains these words:

I pick up from the pavement the ones dropped by the postpeople.

They've changed recently from 'natural' colour to pinky-purple.

Round here they're blue and have been for ages.

Yours would be too, if you were still wearing your shorts in this weather.

The message k
from "Jason" contains these words:

Round here they're blue and have been for ages.

Yours would be too, if you were still wearing your shorts in this weather.

Except I really ought to try to remember how colourblind I am - they're red!

--
Skipweasel
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

On 2006-11-03 08:31:06 +0000, Guy King said:

The message k
from "Jason" contains these words:

Round here they're blue and have been for ages.

Yours would be too, if you were still wearing your shorts in this weather.

Except I really ought to try to remember how colourblind I am - they're red!

Oh no. You should treat yourself with more respect than that...

Andy Hall wrote:
On 2006-11-02 21:32:03 +0000, Owain
said:
Phil Addison wrote:
Can you still buy good ol' rubber bands?

/Buy/?

I pick up from the pavement the ones dropped by the postpeople.

They've changed recently from 'natural' colour to pinky-purple.

Owain

Have they?

Could it be because the weather's turned a bit nippy and they are
still wearing their shorts?

LOL!!

Si

Phil Addison wrote:
What's happened to rubber bands? About 10% of my mixed stock are in
various stages of decay. I suppose this is something to do with being
eco friendly, but it means I can't trust them any more for holding stuff
together for more than a few weeks.

The UV light degrades them. Leave one on the window sill for a few
weeks, and it will just crumble..

"Owain" wrote in message
...
Phil Addison wrote:
Can you still buy good ol' rubber bands?

/Buy/?

I pick up from the pavement the ones dropped by the postpeople.

They've changed recently from 'natural' colour to pinky-purple.

Ours changed to those years ago - they're very good. Too good - I have an
overabundance.

Mary

Owain

"Jason" wrote in message
.uk...

"Guy King" wrote in message
...
The message
from Owain contains these words:

I pick up from the pavement the ones dropped by the postpeople.

They've changed recently from 'natural' colour to pinky-purple.

Round here they're blue and have been for ages.

Yours would be too, if you were still wearing your shorts in this weather.

Our postman is stll wearing his red T shirt and black trousers, he's a very
fit young man. He's also regular, friendly and gets things right. But I
daren't tell the RM management that or they'll take him off our walks (he
does two). They did that with the last one I commended. We've had a
miscellany of awful postmen :-(

Mary

Frank Erskine wrote:

Thirty or forty years ago rubber bands seemed to last for ever - nowadays
it would appear that they're only intended for very short-term use.

I doubt there is much difference in the way that elastic bands are
made. Perhaps they were made of natural resin originally but whatever
they are made of these days will be the cheapest available suitable
material as suits throw away items that they are and have always been.

I think the OP's problem is that his bands are now in contact with
something that perishes them, chlorine or oil based most likely.

The message t
from "Mary Fisher" contains these words:

Our postman is stll wearing his red T shirt and black trousers, he's a very
fit young man.

Our postie, Wayne, is still in shorts. He reckons that if it's very cold
it makes little difference when you're walking fast, and when it's
raining you don't feel as wet 'cos you ain't got wet trousers sticking
to your legs.

--
Skipweasel
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

On 2006-11-03 12:26:39 +0000, Guy King said:

The message t
from "Mary Fisher" contains these words:

Our postman is stll wearing his red T shirt and black trousers, he's a
very fit young man.

Our postie, Wayne, is still in shorts. He reckons that if it's very cold
it makes little difference when you're walking fast, and when it's
raining you don't feel as wet 'cos you ain't got wet trousers sticking
to your legs.

Yes, but his name *is* Wayne......

"Guy King" wrote in message
...
The message t
from "Mary Fisher" contains these words:

Our postman is stll wearing his red T shirt and black trousers, he's a
very
fit young man.

Our postie, Wayne, is still in shorts. He reckons that if it's very cold
it makes little difference when you're walking fast, and when it's
raining you don't feel as wet 'cos you ain't got wet trousers sticking
to your legs.

I imagine the first is true (I can't walk fast) but I certainly endorse the
latter point. When it rains - if it's warm - I shed clothes rather than put
them on. Skin is waterproof.

Mary

--
Skipweasel
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

In message , Andy Hall writes
On 2006-11-03 08:31:06 +0000, Guy King said:

The message k
from "Jason" contains these words:

Round here they're blue and have been for ages.

Yours would be too, if you were still wearing your shorts in this
weather.
Except I really ought to try to remember how colourblind I am -
they're red!

Oh no. You should treat yourself with more respect than that...

"One red one, one blue one
and one with a bit of goo on ..."


--
geoff