Royal Mail Head of Operations with a York Roll Container
"K.Hartwall has been supplying Yorks and “mini” Yorks to Royal Mail for more than 25 years. 2020 marked a real milestone in our cooperation as K.Hartwall supplied the 1 millionth York roll container in November to the York Distribution center where it all began.​"
Lower

total cost of ownership​

Reduced

carbon footprint

Improved

handling ergonomics

Quieter

operations

About Royal Mail

Royal Mail is the UK’s national postal and parcel delivery service with a history spanning over 500 years. It operates one of Europe’s largest distribution networks, delivering letters and parcels to more than 29 million addresses across the country every day.​

The challenge

Two decades ago, Royal Mail was seeking a long-term partner capable of improving delivery efficiency through innovative logistics solutions. The key focus areas included:

  • Weight reduction – to make equipment easier to handle and increase vehicle load capacity.​
  • Lower fuel consumption – to improve cost efficiency across daily delivery operations.​
  • Reduced CO₂ emissions – to support sustainability targets and comply with tightening environmental regulations.​
  • Noise reduction – to ensure quieter operations, especially for night-time deliveries in residential areas.​

The solution

K.Hartwall serves as Royal Mail’s sole supplier of the iconic York roll containers, designed primarily for the transport of letter mail in bags and trays. Over the years, the product line has evolved through continuous innovation to meet Royal Mail’s changing operational needs.​ Our collaboration has enabled significant cost reductions across the network, with the York roll cages remaining essential to Royal Mail’s daily operations—especially as the focus has shifted from letters to parcels driven by the rise of e-commerce.​

Products used

The York Roll Container is a durable, lightweight, and highly manoeuvrable roll cage designed to handle both letter mail and parcels efficiently across large delivery networks. Its robust yet ergonomic build enhances handling safety and supports quieter operations in sorting centres and delivery offices. As a long-standing part of Royal Mail’s equipment fleet, it has proven its reliability through evolving operational needs.