Introduce measures to stop postal rubber bands becoming street litter

Rejected 21 signatures

What the petition asks

We want the Government to introduce guidance or regulations ensuring rubber bands used during postal deliveries are collected and reused, not discarded on streets. Postal operators should be required to implement systems for rubber band retrieval and reuse.

Rubber bands from postal deliveries are frequently found on pavements and roads across the UK. This creates avoidable litter, wastes resources, and poses a hazard to wildlife and pets that may ingest or become entangled in them. Royal Mail already has internal guidance asking workers to retain and return rubber bands, but bands remain widely found on streets. Government action is needed to ensure procedures are followed and strengthened across all postal operators.

Why it was rejected

It asked for something that is not the responsibility of the UK Government or Parliament.

We can see that you are based in Scotland, and your petition is about something that the Scottish Government is responsible for. That means that the UK Government and Parliament can't look into it.

The Scottish Parliament has its own petition system:

https://www.parliament.scot/get-involved/petitions

Timeline

8 Mar 2026	Petition opened for signatures
9 Apr 2026	Rejected by the Petitions Committee

Key facts

Signatures 21

Status Rejected

Department Department for Business and Trade

Rejected 9 Apr 2026

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