Royal Mail to install solar-powered postboxes across UK
Royal Mail to install solar-powered postboxes across UK
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3 September 2025
The Royal Mail solar-powered postboxes will be rolled out steadily over the next few months
The solar-powered postboxes will be topped with a grid of dark solar panels on a white rectangle
The announcement follows a trial in April
The solar-powered postboxes will be topped with a grid of dark solar panels on a white rectangle – Source: Royal Mail
Royal Mail will be installing 3,500 solar-powered postboxes across the UK that will power a digitally-activated drawer, allowing customers to deposit small parcels.
The change, described as the “biggest redesign in its 175-year history”, comes as Royal Mail is struggling in the face of competition from other delivery companies, with it being fined millions after failing to meet letter delivery targets, according to the BBC.
It follows a trial in April that saw the postal service fit five solar-powered postboxes across Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire to meet an increased demand for parcel services, and marks the company’s first redesign since its inception 175 years ago.
In the trial, two designs were tested, including one where the entire round lid of the postboxes was black, but the decision was made to keep it red in line with the brand.
The solar-powered postboxes will be topped with a grid of dark solar panels on a white rectangle, which according to Royal Mail, will be faced south for optimal sunlight.
The company also said customers can use the service through its app and can also request proof of posting, as well as track its whereabouts.
Jack Clarkson, managing director, Royal Mail said the rise of online shopping means click-and-collect services have increased, with convenience stores, supermarkets and petrol stations offering send-and-delivery services.
“We are all sending and returning more parcels than ever before, and this trend will only continue as online shopping shows no signs of slowing, particularly with the boom of secondhand marketplaces,” he said.
The solar-powered postboxes will be rolled out steadily over the next few months, with the hope it will enable Royal Mail to take up its share of the market.
“Our message is clear, if you have a Royal Mail label on your parcel, and it fits, put it in a postbox and we’ll do the rest,” Clarkson said.
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Tamara BirchNewsletter and sponsored content editor
Tamara is a London-based journalist and has written about environmental topics for more than four years. This includes advising small business owners on cost-effective ways, like solar panels and energy-efficient products, to help them become more sustainable.
She has used her journalist and research skills to become highly knowledgeable on sustainable initiatives, issues, and solutions to help consumers do their bit for the environment – all while reducing monthly costs.
In addition to adopting sustainable practices in her personal life, Tamara has worked in the retail B2B space to help independent retailers think about their environmental choices and how they can help improve their business. She now uses this knowledge to help consumers do the same.
Her passion for sustainability and eco-friendly solutions stems from a long obsession with nature and animals and ensuring they feel looked after. In her free time, Tamara enjoys reading fantasy novels, visiting the gym, and going on long walks in new areas.
Max joined The Eco Experts as content manager in February 2024. He has written about sustainability issues across numerous industries, including maritime, supply chain, finance, mining, and retail. He has also written extensively for consumer titles like City AM, The Morning Star, and The Daily Express.
In 2020, he covered in detail the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) legislation on sulphur emissions and its effects on the global container shipping market as online editor of Port Technology International.
He also explored the initiatives major container ports and terminals have launched in order to ship vital goods across the world without polluting the environment.
Since then, he has reported heavily on the impact made by environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices on the supply chain of minerals, with a particular focus on rare earth mining in Africa.
As part of this, in 2022 Max visited mines and ports in Angola to hone in on the challenges being faced by one of the world’s biggest producers of rare earth minerals.
His most recent sustainability-related work came much closer to home, as he investigated the eco-challenges faced by independent retailers in the UK, specifically looking at how they can cut emissions and continue to thrive.
Max lives in South London and is an avid reader of books on modern history and ghost stories. He has also recently learned to play the game Mahjong and takes every opportunity to do so. He is also yet to find a sport he doesn’t enjoy watching.
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