USPS is offering a “Greener shade of Green"

The United States Postal Service is making greener choices for consumers and the environment.

The United States Postal Service is responsible for a lot of un-recycled paper products nationwide, but after a little push by the government they are turning things around to reduce their carbon footprint.

When visiting the USPS website there is a link that says, “GoGreen, Save Green with the Postal Service.” The link leads customers to an area that shows how the USPS is going green, and how consumers can go green aswell. One way they are trying to make a difference is by supplying their customers with options for greener delivery such as ordering “eco-friendly”packaging. 

Of course this means that the eco-friendly packages are recyclable, but the USPS takes their responsibility beyond that as well. Theyensure that these packages were made in a green fashion. The design stage, aswell as the manufacturing stage, takes environmental precautions such aslimited water and energy use to ensure the result is indeed a “green” one.

Another step they are taking is in making a lot of services available online. Online services save energy and money. The online post office allows users to look up zip codes they need to ship to, calculate the postage cost without postage scales,complete a change of address, purchase your own postal meter,and also purchase stamps.  Most importantly, it allows consumers to schedule free package pick-up and print their own labels. 

The USPS recycles a lot and they encourage their customers to do so as well. In 2008 they recycled 274,000 tons of wastepaper, cardboard,cans, plastics, and other materials. They implemented a Post Office Box Lobby Recycling program that is expanding to add an additional 2,435 Post Offices,which will bring the total number to 8,064. In this program, they encourage customers to “read, respond, recycle” their P.O. Box mail in the post office lobbies.  They supply secure recycling bins in the Post Office lobbies that are locked and only allow a very slim opening to avoid theft.

The USPS is also testing out the use of Hydrogen vehicles todeliver mail in select areas. They are currently using Chevy Equinox Fuel Cell Electric vehicles in Irvine, CA and Washington D.C. to deliver the local mail.The only emissions are in the form of water vapor, making these cars extremely eco friendly.

The last way that they are trying to make an impact in the green movement is offering  advice toconsumers and businesses. On their website they give tips such as “shred directmail and use it for packing material for shipping” for customers. This shows that they are not only concerned about their carbon footprint, but others’ as well. For businesses they have a whole list of green ideas for business mailers, including to, “regularly update and improve your mailing lists to limit duplication and waste.”

Clearly, the postal service is trying to show that they care for not only their customers, but the environment too. Whether or not their motivation was driven by the government it no longer matters because they are making a great effort to make their services as environmentally friendly aspossible.

 About the Author:

Samantha Morse is a writer and pet lover based in San Diego, California. She writesextensively for an online resource that provides expert advice on purchasingand outsourcing decisions for small business owners and entrepreneurs such as phone systems &voip service at Resource Nation