Mail Delivery: Greener Than You Think


Need more reasons to love direct mail? Try the U.S. Postal Service’s commitment to environmental sustainability. Here are three ways the USPS continues to improve its environmental footprint and reasons you can keep loving the mail. 

1.Use of Alternative Fuels
The U.S. Postal Service has a long-established alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) program. Since 2005, it has purchased 13,384 AFVs, most of them Ethanol 85 and
hybrid vehicles. This represents more than half of the USPS’s total vehicle acquisitions. The USPS is on track to increase alternative fuel use 10% annually. 
The USPS’s investment in AFVs isn’t just about reducing our nation’s dependence on foreign oil. It also supports U.S. jobs. The ethanol for E85 vehicles is produced right here in this country. It creates jobs at home!

2. Use of Eco-Friendly Packaging 
Paper- or cardboard-based packaging is generally recyclable, but when the USPS produces it, it meets an even higher standard. USPS packing containers meet Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) or Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification standards. This means the fiber is harvested responsibly and that the source forests are managed to high environmental standards. In addition, Priority Mail and Express Mail supplies and ReadyPost boxes, envelopes, and labels are all Cradle to Cradle certified. The USPS is the only shipping company in the world to achieve such a certification.   
3. Huge Practitioner of “Recycle and Re-Use”!
The USPS is a heavy user of recycled materials. It re-uses a lot of materials, as well. For example: 
• The USPS purchases more than $200 million worth of products containing recycled content each year. This includes packaging materials, stamped envelopes, postcards, and stamp booklet covers.
• The adhesives used in USPS stamps are biodegradable, environmentally neutral,
and recyclable.
• Through various partnerships, the USPS has facilitated reuse or recovery of overstock and outdated electronic equipment, saving tons of potential landfill waste.

So go ahead  — love your direct mail.  Even from an environmental perspective, there is nothing to feel guilty about. In fact, there is a lot to love! 


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