USPS Kicks Off Earth Day Events

The U.S. Postal Service is kicking off Earth Day events highlighting ways our business strives to be leaner, greener, smarter and faster all year long.

“The Postal Service is in every community in every state and that gives us a responsibility to be good neighbors,” said Deputy Postmaster General Ronald A. Stroman in remarks to employees during the Earth Day observance. “That’s why we work so hard to save energy, recycle and reduce waste.”

The Postal Service saved more than $55 million dollars in fiscal year (FY) 2011 by reducing energy, water, consumables use and solid waste to landfills, conservation efforts encouraged by the Go Green Forever   stamps. The Postal Service also recycled 215,000 tons of material, which generated $24 million in new revenue, for a total of $79 million.

Other ways in which the Postal Service works to reduce its impact on the environment include:

• Lobby Recycling — nearly 20,000 secure recycling containers have been installed in more than 10,000 Post Offices nationwide.
• Online Services, including Move Update — approximately 12.5 million movers change their address online each year, avoiding the release of more than 20 million pounds of carbon dioxide into the environment.
• Lean Green Teams — more than 400 lean green teams help identify and implement low- and no-cost green practices to help the Postal Service meet the following sustainability goals by 2015:
  • Reduce facility energy use by 30 percent,
  • Reduce water use by 10 percent,
  • Reduce petroleum fuel use by 20 percent, and
  • Divert 50 percent of solid waste from landfills.

Long a sustainability leader, the Postal Service has won numerous environmental honors, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) WasteWise Partner of the Year award in 2010 and 2011 and the EPA's National Partnership for Environmental Priorities award in 2011.

For more information about the Postal Service’s sustainability initiatives, visit usps.com/green and the usps green newsroom.