Clean Sweep: Trash and Recyclables

USPS could incur unnecessary disposal costs, fines and complaints if hazardous materials aren’t disposed of properly.

The Postal Service is reminding employees to maintain healthy workplaces by disposing of trash, recyclable items and other refuse responsibly.

All employees have a collective responsibility to ensure discarded or unwanted items are properly handled.

This is why the organization doesn’t want employees to send trash, food, unopened Postal Service retail products and hazardous materials, such as used batteries, light bulbs, detergents and other cleaning products, to the Mail Recovery Center in Atlanta; the Material Distribution Center in Topeka, KS; and the Ybor City, FL, Processing and Distribution Center.

Additionally, the organization could incur unnecessary disposal costs, fines and complaints when hazardous materials are not disposed of properly.

Management requirements for certain types of hazardous waste vary from state to state. Employees should check with their designated environmental specialist for information about state requirements.

The Postal Operations Manual outlines policies for how to handle undeliverable mail, while the Sustainability Blue page has information on how to handle hazardous materials.

For more information, refer to the Waste Stream Assessment and Characterization Environmental Compliance Bulletin.

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