Overview

A twist tie is a metal

Metal

A metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...

 wire

Wire

A wire is a single, usually cylindrical, flexible strand or rod of metal. Wires are used to bear mechanical loads and to carry electricity and telecommunications signals. Wire is commonly formed by drawing the metal through a hole in a die or draw plate. Standard sizes are determined by various...

 that is encased in a thin strip of paper

Paper

Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....

 or plastic

Plastic

A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...

 and is used to tie the openings of bags, such as garbage bags or bread bag

Bread bag

Bread bags or ration bags are small to medium sized bags issued to soldiers to carry their rations. Often, such as in the case of Swiss and World War II German designs, they will have straps for attaching to belts and/or bikes. They can be commonly found in the military surplus market and are...

s. A twist tie is used by wrapping it around the item to be fastened, then twisting the ends together (thus the name). They are often included with boxes of plastic food bag

Plastic bag

A plastic bag, polybag, or pouch is a type of packaging made of thin, flexible, plastic film, nonwoven fabric, or plastic textile. Plastic bags are used for containing and transporting goods such as foods, produce, powders, ice, magazines, comic books, chemicals and waste.Most plastic bags are...

s or trash bags, and are commonly available individually in pre-cut lengths, on large spools, or in perforated sheets called gangs.

Detailed Construction and Use

The outer covering can be in a variety of colors with or without printing. Plain paper, metallic paper, plastic, and poly coatings are popular for different applications. The plastic, poly, or metallic paper twist ties withstand water better than the uncoated paper versions. Water-resistant twist ties are sometimes used to package lettuce

Lettuce

Lettuce is a temperate annual or biennial plant of the daisy family Asteraceae. It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable. It is eaten either raw, notably in salads, sandwiches, hamburgers, tacos, and many other dishes, or cooked, as in Chinese cuisine in which the stem becomes just as important...

 and other vegetables, although hook and loop closures are beginning to replace it. Different sizes and strengths are used for different applications, from a small closure for a bag of bread to a large, heavy tie to hold unwieldy garden hose

Garden hose

A garden hose is a flexible tube used to carry water. There are a number of common attachments available for the end of the hose, such as sprayers and sprinklers...

s in place. The Eight O'Clock Coffee company provides a very strong double-wire twist tie with its bags of coffee. A twist tie with a broad paper covering may also be used for labeling purposes.

Compared to some other closure methods, like adhesive tape, twist ties offer the advantage of reuse.

The original twist tie was invented by the California based packaging company T and T Industries, Inc. It was patented in 1939 and marketed as the Twist-Ems.

A non-twisting plastic fastener similar to a cable tie

Cable tie

A cable tie, also known as a zip tie or tie-wrap , is a type of fastener, especially for binding several electronic cables or wires together and to organize cables and wires.-Design and use:...

 may also be called a twist tie, although this is technically incorrect.

Twist ties, particularly metallic colors, are occasionally used to decorate packages.

Color coding for bread age

In the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, the color of twist ties is used on grocery store

Grocery store

A grocery store is a store that retails food. A grocer, the owner of a grocery store, stocks different kinds of foods from assorted places and cultures, and sells these "groceries" to customers. Large grocery stores that stock products other than food, such as clothing or household items, are...

 bread shelves as a form of inventory management

Inventory

Inventory means a list compiled for some formal purpose, such as the details of an estate going to probate, or the contents of a house let furnished. This remains the prime meaning in British English...

, which indicates the day a loaf of bread

Bread

Bread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and often additional ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed , fried , or baked on an unoiled frying pan . It may be leavened or unleavened...

was baked:

Monday = Blue

Tuesday = Green

Thursday = Red

Friday = White

Saturday = Yellow.

The color coded twist ties allow stores to remove older bread so that generally only fresh bread with one or two colors of twist ties should be present on the shelves.