Are there any uses for used up hair elastics so they don't end up in landfill?

Question

I have some hair ties that have been stretched so much that they aren't stretchy anymore. I'm talking about ones that look like this:

It's basically thread wrapped around elastic. The elastic inside stretched to the point of breaking, and the thread is inelastic and doesn't go anywhere. So basically I have these bracelet-sized thread loops. What can I do with them?

Answer 1

I use them to close bags in the kitchen and I use them to tidy up my cords behind the TV.

Answer 2

Not much I'd do with those. My first thought, and past reaction, was to throw them in the trash. But now that I'm thinking about it, here are a few ideas. Most of them are decorative ideas:

• put them on a toilet paper or paper towel inner tube, or a tree branch, or anything cylindrical with a close enough diameter.
• cut them and braid them into bracelets or some sort of rope.
• use them as ties (small ones, though).
• use them as key rings.

This is all I could think about right now.

Answer 3

Although they aren't stretchy any more they still hold together and they come in a variety of colours: bright ones are easy to spot, darker may be easier to hide. Or they can match what you attach them to. You can attach them to any loop by putting it halfway through the loop, then pulling it through itself.

Replace a fallen-off or too small zipper pull, for example. Turn a very small loop on an article of clothing (for example the label in most bathing suits, or the label at the back of the neck of a jacket) that will only fit over a small metal hook into a larger loop that will hang over a small knob or the upright of a chair. Once you realize you have a pocket full of insta-handles or insta-loops, uses will come to you. While they may not save you buying anything, they will probably make the things you own more pleasant to use.