Leading Ireland’s Circular Economy transition
Ireland is transitioning to a Circular Economy, where waste is minimised and resources are kept in use for longer. As a key player in the Irish economy, An Post is committed to advancing this transition by providing practical solutions that help people and businesses reuse materials and embrace circular living across communities.
Sell it. Send it. Cash it in.
Recognising the growing trend of buying and selling pre-loved items online, we removed weight restrictions on our prepaid boxes and packaging bag solutions to support the resale of pre-loved items. This change was made to facilitate the selling and sending of pre-loved items with ease, by providing certainty for sellers of the cost of posting and packing their items. Our national campaign was launched with a fashion show and live broadcast from the GPO and featured second-hand style icon Fionnuala Jay, along with special guests from the “I’m Grand Mam” podcast, as well as Courtney Smith and Zeda. The event also featured an upcycling station with Dublin-based fashion and sewing school When Poppy Met Daisy, showcasing creative ways to give new life to old clothes. By engaging with the public in the second-hand and pre-loved clothing market, we are educating consumers about how they can extend product life cycles and significantly reduce textile waste.Empowering business customers in circularity
Our commitment to circular living includes the creation of new, and adaptation of our existing, products and services for our business customers so that they too can actively participate in the Circular Economy. In 2024, we launched campaigns, piloted new services and highlighted opportunities for our business customers to move towards more sustainable practices:• Reuse – launch of our new Marketplace API with Vinted: We developed a Marketplace API, enabling resellers to connect directly with An Post’s labelling system, further simplifying the logistics of circular e-commerce and reducing friction for users. We launched this service with Vinted, Europe’s leading customer-to-customer platform for second-hand fashion and more, upon their entry into the Irish market.
• Return - ReSculpted: In partnership with Sculpted by Aimee we introduced the “ReSculpted” programme, enabling their customers to return empty product packaging, at no cost, through An Post’s network.
• Repair – Zara pre-owned: The most sustainable garments are the ones you already own. Supporting Zara’s commitment to sustainability, An Post continued to provide collection and delivery services for garments returned to Zara for repair. This service encourages customers to extend the lifecycle of their clothing, promoting textile circularity.
• Recycle - Nespresso capsule recycling: We continue to collaborate with Nespresso to offer a returns service that collects used coffee capsules from customers’ homes or local Post Office. Collected capsules are sent to a recycling centre where the aluminium is transformed into new products like beverage cans, and the coffee grounds are repurposed into soil improvers and renewable energy.
• Rent - Rented Threads: In our “Keep it Circular” (please link to - https://www.anpost.com/Post-Parcels/Sending/Reselling) campaign, we showcased the process for renting an outfit from Rented Thread"
