if you haven't guessed, it's a twist tie. i love these things. they have, for me, so many uses. one of the things i use it for is to keep battery charger cords in order. i just loop the cord around like a garden hose and then twist tie it together. i remember when living in france, one of the few things that bothered me were their twist ties. whatever it is made from does not do a good job of staying secure. not that it comes undone, it just doesn't secure tightly enough. now i know for any future trip to france, i need to pack some twist ties from home.