Postal Tube Shop, a UK manufacturer of postal and packaging tubes, has launched RECAP, a compostable, plastic-free end cap designed as a drop-in replacement for traditional plastic postal tube plugs. The launch means customers can now buy postal tubes that are recyclable from end to end, cardboard body and cap included, rather than just the tube itself.
Completely plastic-free cardboard tubes are available now across the company’s RECAP range, spanning A0, A1, A2, A3, B0, B1 and B2 sizes, the same size options as the standard range. Every size has been engineered to match the strength and grip of a conventional plastic plug, so businesses can switch to a plastic-free tube without changing their existing packing process or supply chain.
A spokesperson from the postal tube shop said the following:
“At the Postal Tube Shop, we’re incredibly happy to be offering this new, more sustainable option, which allows our customers to stop using conventional plastic end caps and plugs. Traditionally, cardboard tubes would come with a plastic component, which is not compostable, but our cardboard options are reliable, durable, and will break down in the ground over time. Customers can choose from various categories and also select different diameters, wall thicknesses, length, and weight.”
Why now
The launch follows extensive research by Postal Tube Shop into viable, environmentally friendly alternatives to plastic postal tube plugs, and comes as UK packaging costs face increasing scrutiny. From April 2026, packaging fees under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) are tied to recyclability, with harder-to-recycle materials facing rising charges under PackUK’s modulated fee system. Plastic caps and plugs, long the one non-recyclable component in an otherwise cardboard product, fall squarely into that category. Switching to RECAP’s plastic-free cap could therefore help businesses contain both their packaging costs and their environmental footprint as the new fee structure takes effect.
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