Cornish small business Flotsam Flo has partnered with Royal Mail and The Postal Museum to turn old trolley sleeves into handmade bags.
Trolley sleeves are used to line the 850,000 wheeled cages that transport parcels through Royal Mail’s network.
The mail company has now replaced its old trolley sleeves with more durable alternatives that can be used up to 3,000 times over an expected lifespan of four years and are made from fully recyclable corrugated plastic, including 30% recycled material.
The bags – made from the decommissioned sleeves – will be available for preorder online at The Postal Museum and instore from late November.
The Postal Museum is an award-winning, independent museum based in London that covers 500 years of communications history and is home to the underground Mail Rail attraction.
Matt Gower, Royal Mail’s head of ESG, said: “Royal Mail is always looking for ways to reduce our waste, and the more creative the better. We love the bags that Flotsam Flo has created – our trolley sleeves have never looked so good. Embracing circularity is a key part of our Steps to Zero strategy to reach Net-Zero, and it’s great to work with partners who share this goal.”
Flotsam Flo
Founded in 2021 by Kate Doran, Flotsam Flo turns waste materials that cannot easily be recycled into unique handmade accessories.
The sustainability-focused small business is supported by waste management company Biffa, which provided it with office space, mentoring and guidance and raw waste materials collected from its customers, including Royal Mail.
Doran commented: “It’s been an incredible experience collaborating with Royal Mail to give its trolley sleeves a second life as beautiful handmade bags.
“At Flotsam Flo, we are all about reducing waste and finding beauty in sustainability. I still can’t quite believe I am working with Royal Mail and the fact my items are on sale through the Postal Museum in London – but if I do say so myself, they make the perfect Christmas gift.
“This wouldn’t have been possible without the support and belief that Biffa has in me – it’s a real pinch me moment as someone from Cornwall who simply loves turning waste into something beautiful.”
Fiona Campbell, Biffa’s head of sustainability, added: “Kate’s work is incredibly impressive and it’s brilliant to see her partnering with Royal Mail to help turn previously unrecyclable materials into a fantastic new product.
“Hard to recycle materials are currently wasted too often, which is why we are focused on supporting micro-circular solutions such as Flotsom Flo which promote the waste hierarchy and show us that we can prevent waste by changing our mindset about materials and their potential for reuse.”
