Making circular happen

We are minimising our use of materials, especially virgin and raw resources, to reduce waste generated by our operations. Operational products are used in our delivery network to collect, convey and distribute mail, which can often be replaced or improved to increase their sustainability and reduce waste.

  • Having achieved a 24% reduction in waste ahead of our 25% target by 2030, we are working to maintain efficiencies created by cardboard parcel containment, the use of pallets and, to a lesser extent, mailbag ties and elastic bands.
  • We are exploring avenues to eliminate raw materials, increase recycled content and promote circular solutions.
  • We recognise the need to offer our customers circular solutions and facilitate the adoption of rental and return business models.

Our Steps to zero journey

1. Zero-emission deliveries

Net zero deliveries

2. Zero-emission operations

Net zero operations

4. Collaborating for action

Collaborating for action

 
How Royal Mail are delivering a sustainable future

We are the UK’s greenest delivery option for letters and parcels based on average gCO2e emissions per parcel delivered by UK parcel operators, as published by Citizens Advice 2024 Parcels League Table. In 2024-25 we continued to decarbonise our business which has again resulted in a drop in our total emissions and in our CO2e emissions per parcel to 165gCO2e, compared to 206gCO2e in the prior year. This is well below the reported emissions of our main peers.

We operate the UK’s largest electric van delivery fleet, with c.7,000 electric vans.

Yes. Royal Mail has committed to achieving Net-Zero by 2040 and has announced interim (2030) targets that have been externally validated by the Science-based Target Initiative (SBTi).

Please take a look at our ESG Report 2024-25pdf, 7.91 MB.