Royal Mail saves 2,000 tonnes of waste by rolling out reusable trolley sleeves

[TrueBlueTerrier]

https://internetretailing.net/royal-mai ... y-sleeves/

Royal Mail has replaced single use cardboard trolley sleeves with more durable, reusable versions which are designed to last up to four years.

The new sleeves, which were created in-house, cut waste by 10% last year and helped Royal Mail achieve its target of reducing waste by 25% compared to the 2020/21 base year.

Royal Mail’s in-house engineering team was tasked with designing a replacement for the traditional single-use fabric and cardboard trolley inserts used in mail centres and delivery offices, which would be reusable, increase capacity and more compatible with automated machinery.

As well as improving efficiency by increasing capacity of each trolley, the new sleeves – known as ‘Yorks’ internally – will 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.

Waste management is a key part of Royal Mail’s Steps to Zero strategy, which set a goal of achieving Net-Zero by 2040 with a 50% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030.

Royal Mail has also introduced a reuse programme for pallets and adjusted its mail bag practices by substituting single-use plastic cable ties for reusable ‘hook and loop’ straps. The company is now looking to maintain and improve its performance by exploring innovative approaches to enhance its recycling. It will focus on efficiencies in its operational products, used to collect, convey and distribute mail.

Zebrina Hanly, Royal Mail’s head of environment, said: “We have not only met our waste reduction target, but have done so seven years ahead of schedule. This wouldn’t have been possible without the innovation from our engineering team as well as the hard work of our posties and wider operational staff. Our mission isn’t over, however, and we’re continuing to work hard to maintain our position as the UK’s greenest delivery option.”

[Jb1969]

Lifespan of 4 years, they got Years mixed up with Months!

[Barnacle]

https://internetretailing.net/royal-mai ... y-sleeves/


Royal Mail’s in-house engineering team was tasked with designing a replacement for the traditional single-use fabric and cardboard trolley inserts used in mail centres and delivery offices, which would be reusable, increase capacity and more compatible with automated machinery.

Since when were the fabric York inserts ‘single use’? And if these plastic abominations were only meant to replace carboard inserts, then why have they been binning the fabric sleeves which last years longer than the plastic rubbish?

And if this is all about being GREEN and NET ZERO then since when is plastic greener than cardboard which is itself recycled?

[SpacePhoenix]

Lifespan of 4 years, they got Years mixed up with Months!

More like days. You can only get about a dozen uses tops before they're f****d. If we find that we've only got them available for mech letters, manual letters or flats, we have to remove the doors from them to get the trays to fit.

[yellowbelly]

On a smaller scale I can't get my head around why they're still sending out re-direction material in plastic envelopes.

Some days a single plastic envelope can have a single A4 sheet of paper with an updated list of re-dirs for a walk.
There must be thousands of these envelopes pushed out every single day. Why haven't they got round to using paper
envelopes like they were proud to gob off about when they changed what the propaganda rag comes in.

[SpacePhoenix]

Some days a single plastic envelope can have a single A4 sheet of paper with an updated list of re-dirs for a walk.
There must be thousands of these envelopes pushed out every single day. Why haven't they got round to using paper
envelopes like they were proud to gob off about when they changed what the propaganda rag comes in.

If they did use paper enevelopes then with a software tweak there's the possibility that some could be machine sortable if machinable.

[richietns]

https://internetretailing.net/royal-mai ... y-sleeves/


Royal Mail’s in-house engineering team was tasked with designing a replacement for the traditional single-use fabric and cardboard trolley inserts used in mail centres and delivery offices, which would be reusable, increase capacity and more compatible with automated machinery.

Since when were the fabric York inserts ‘single use’? And if these plastic abominations were only meant to replace carboard inserts, then why have they been binning the fabric sleeves which last years longer than the plastic rubbish?

And if this is all about being GREEN and NET ZERO then since when is plastic greener than cardboard which is itself recycled?

I can only assume the fabric sleeves must cost a lot more its always the dollars.

[enskied]

On a smaller scale I can't get my head around why they're still sending out re-direction material in plastic envelopes.

Some days a single plastic envelope can have a single A4 sheet of paper with an updated list of re-dirs for a walk.
There must be thousands of these envelopes pushed out every single day. Why haven't they got round to using paper
envelopes like they were proud to gob off about when they changed what the propaganda rag comes in.

The redirection plastic bag was ended more than three years ago at ours. Very sadly missed. It's a bugger when a firm moves and every letter needs an individual sticker.

[funkflex55]

https://internetretailing.net/royal-mai ... y-sleeves/


Royal Mail’s in-house engineering team was tasked with designing a replacement for the traditional single-use fabric and cardboard trolley inserts used in mail centres and delivery offices, which would be reusable, increase capacity and more compatible with automated machinery.

Since when were the fabric York inserts ‘single use’? And if these plastic abominations were only meant to replace carboard inserts, then why have they been binning the fabric sleeves which last years longer than the plastic rubbish?

And if this is all about being GREEN and NET ZERO then since when is plastic greener than cardboard which is itself recycled?

Spot on. That article is absolute bullshit propaganda. Also, we probably put about 2000 tonnes of junk D2D through everyday. If the company cared about green they'd stop doing D2D but unfortunately cash rules everything around them, cream, get the money, dollar dollar bill y'all

[Mr Rush]

Total greenwashing.

Why didn't they make them out of aluminium? Recycling rates for aluminium are so high it's quite uneconomical to dig fresh stuff out of the ground. If the company's interested, I have a tip on some aeroplanes no longer being used!

[rubberbond]

https://internetretailing.net/royal-mai ... y-sleeves/


Royal Mail’s in-house engineering team was tasked with designing a replacement for the traditional single-use fabric and cardboard trolley inserts used in mail centres and delivery offices, which would be reusable, increase capacity and more compatible with automated machinery.

Since when were the fabric York inserts ‘single use’? And if these plastic abominations were only meant to replace carboard inserts, then why have they been binning the fabric sleeves which last years longer than the plastic rubbish?

And if this is all about being GREEN and NET ZERO then since when is plastic greener than cardboard which is itself recycled?

Spot on. That article is absolute bullshit propaganda. Also, we probably put about 2000 tonnes of junk D2D through everyday. If the company cared about green they'd stop doing D2D but unfortunately cash rules everything around them, cream, get the money, dollar dollar bill y'all

They bore on about some crap about carbon footprint,but then buy electric vans , -which I’m informed by someone in the know from a neighbouring office -that use them that they are the most hopeless thing ever. Nobody ever has expressed to me how grateful they are that we have a lower carbon footprint than other delivery companies, they want their stuff and sod the planet.

[Barnacle]

https://internetretailing.net/royal-mai ... y-sleeves/


Royal Mail’s in-house engineering team was tasked with designing a replacement for the traditional single-use fabric and cardboard trolley inserts used in mail centres and delivery offices, which would be reusable, increase capacity and more compatible with automated machinery.

Since when were the fabric York inserts ‘single use’? And if these plastic abominations were only meant to replace carboard inserts, then why have they been binning the fabric sleeves which last years longer than the plastic rubbish?

And if this is all about being GREEN and NET ZERO then since when is plastic greener than cardboard which is itself recycled?

Spot on. That article is absolute bullshit propaganda. Also, we probably put about 2000 tonnes of junk D2D through everyday. If the company cared about green they'd stop doing D2D but unfortunately cash rules everything around them, cream, get the money, dollar dollar bill y'all

They bore on about some crap about carbon footprint,but then buy electric vans , -which I’m informed by someone in the know from a neighbouring office -that use them that they are the most hopeless thing ever. Nobody ever has expressed to me how grateful they are that we have a lower carbon footprint than other delivery companies, they want their stuff and sod the planet.

Like all large companies they want to sound and appear as if they are doing something green without actually doing anything.

I’d love to see the data on how they calculated that plastic York inserts are more environmentally friendly than recycled cardboard or the canvas inserts which last years. How long do the plastic inserts take to breakdown in landfill? They are likely to still be complete lumps of plastic when our great great grandkids roam the earth.

[funkflex55]

https://www.un.org/en/exhibits/exhibit/ ... %20smaller.

I don't think there's any way that the plastic is better than either the cardboard or the fabric. The cardboard can decompose fully in a few months. The fabric probably would be reusable for years longer than these new plastic ones. There can only be one factor at play and that's the cost. They then spin the story to act like it's greener.

[Tman]

Also, we probably put about 2000 tonnes of junk D2D through everyday. If the company cared about green they'd stop doing D2D but unfortunately cash rules everything around them, cream, get the money, dollar dollar bill y'all

What sort of business turns away work?

[Sean06]

Also, we probably put about 2000 tonnes of junk D2D through everyday. If the company cared about green they'd stop doing D2D but unfortunately cash rules everything around them, cream, get the money, dollar dollar bill y'all

What sort of business turns away work?

Millions of £££ worth too.