Artist who makes bags from wetsuits now using old Royal Mail sleeves

Thousands of Royal Mail trolley sleeves have been repurposed into handmade bags by a Cornish business. Royal Mail and The Postal Museum have teamed up with Flotsam Flo to upcycle a selection of Royal Mail’s old trolley sleeves.

Flotsam Flo, founded by Kate Doran, is based in Cornwall and reuses unrecyclable items such as wetsuits and turns them into chic accessories such as bags and purses. The sleeves were previously used to line the 850,000 wheeled cages that transport parcels through Royal Mail’s network.

Royal Mail has now replaced its trolley sleeves with more durable alternatives, designed by its own in-house engineers, that can be used up to 3,000 times over an expected lifespan of four years. This isn’t the first time Flotsam Flo has created unique items out of things that would otherwise have ended up in landfill.

The business has been going from strength to strength over the past three years with the support of sustainable waste management company Biffa. Biffa has provided Kate with office space, mentoring and guidance, as well as raw waste materials collected from its customers, including Royal Mail.

Kate said: “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.”

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.”

Fiona Campbell, Biffa’s head of sustainability, commented: “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.”

As part of the partnership, the upcycled trolley sleeve bags are available exclusively for pre-order online at The Postal Museum and in-store from late November, subject to availability.

Join CornwallLive on WhatsApp and be first to hear what’s happening near you – Cornwall Live