Royal Mail unveils a solar-powered postbox

By Linn’s Staff

On April 10 Great Britain’s Royal Mail announced the unveiling of a solar-powered postbox that can be used to make sending parcels easier.

Customers can use the new postboxes to scan a parcel’s barcode, and then use an updated Royal Mail smartphone app to request proof of posting by utilizing the phone’s location services.

The new postbox allows for larger parcels than postboxes can currently accept, while letters can still be posted in a separate opening on the postbox.

Five of the new postboxes will be piloted before Royal Mail places more throughout the United Kingdom. Royal Mail says there are 115,000 postboxes in the United Kingdom, all located within a half mile of 98 percent of addresses in the United Kingdom. This is compared to the 21,000 locations where customers can currently drop off and collect parcels.

“The new postboxes will support the increasing numbers of people selling unwanted clothing and other items on secondhand marketplaces, as well as traditional online shoppers sending returns,” Royal Mail said in a press release.

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