The secret danger of loom bands

Copper

Like most six-year-olds, Edith Coote LOVES loom bands.
But unlike most of her peers, this six-year-old is incredibly worried about the effects her hobby of looping hundreds of tiny synthetic rubber bands together to make jewellery could have on the environment.

Rainbow Loom® is the original Loom Band kit.
Rainbow Loom® is the original Loom Band kit. Source: Supplied
The Melbourne schoolgirl became so distressed by the fact that some of the billions of tiny bands sold in loom band kits around the world could be washing down drains and into the ocean, hurting sea animals, she took to change.org, with the help of mum Cathy, to do something about it.
“I’m 6 years old and I love Loom Bands,” she writes.
“But I’m worried because they are made of synthetic rubber — which lasts forever.
The petition addressed to the creator of loom bands Mr Cheong Ng, urging the manufacturer to make them biodegradable, has clocked up more than 1000 supporters since it was posted on Tuesday.
Edith and Cathy have also set up a Facebook page — Changing Looms.
Edith and Cathy have also set up a Facebook page — Changing Looms. Source: NewsComAu
In it, the six-year-old explains she is concerned that once the tiny rubber bands wash down drains and into the ocean, turtles, fish and sea birds can eat them and be injured or even die.
Edith’s incredible concern about their destructive power came on when she was playing in the backyard with her archaeologist father, on a “dig”.
“They found some marbles that looked like they had been left behind by children a long time ago, so we started talking about what kids would leave behind now,” her mother Cathy tells news.com.au.
“We did a bit of research, just as an exercise, and calculated that there must be millions of these little bands all over the world, and they could be mistaken for a food source.”
Cathy said her environmentally-conscious six-year-old became very concerned about sea creatures, so they had the idea of doing something to try to make a change.
The secret danger of loom bands
Kids are obsessed with the colourful bands. Source: ThinkStock
“We made the petition as an exercise and Edith decided what it would say, I didn’t think it would take off like it has,” she said.
Cathy believes her petition has really struck a chord with parents of kids who are obsessed with loom bands.
“People are definitely conscious of the toy,” she said.
“You find them in your purse, your sink, your cat bowl — it’s easy to imagine how they could end up in the sea.”