Danger Mouse might soon have new, solar-powered digs: some of Britain's classic red postboxes are getting code scanners, larger slots, and photovoltaic "berets" to power the new digital guts. As other national mail services are removing their last public dropboxes, the Royal Mail is hoping to keep up with changing times by accepting small parcels and retailer returns.
The postbox's extra-large opening hatch offers a new way for the postal service to cash in on a roaring parcel trade. While letter volumes are in steep decline, Britain is in the grip of a secondhand selling boom as consumers use sites such as Vinted to make extra cash.
In a process that will be familiar to those with side hustles, the postboxes can be used to drop off packages that have barcoded postage. Once customers have scanned their code – the postbox's batteries store energy to power its scanner when there is no sun – the drawer on the front opens. They can then use the Royal Mail app to request "proof of posting".
A big win for national hoarding instincts: there are 115,000 public postboxes in the U.K. (almost as many as the much larger U.S.) and many could be retrofitted if the trial is a success. For now, five new boxes will be installed in Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire.
Previously:
• PostNord, Denmark's postal service, to end letter delivery
• Man busted for shoving ice cream into postal box
• Down the Rabbit Hole with the World's Smallest Postal Service
• Fortified mailboxes, part 2
