From the Postmaster General

As members of the community, we share a responsibility to protect the environment and are working hard to do our part to assure future generations have a healthy place to live. Today is another step in that journey.

With every delivery, we’re committed to making a positive impact on the environment — doing our part to assure that future generations have a healthy planet on which to live.

And we’ve been doing it for a long time. The Postal Service has been at the forefront of the “green” movement before it even had a name. We’ve always been a leader in using planet-friendly technologies like alternative fuel-capable vehicles to deliver the mail, and solar panels to reduce our facilities’ energy use.

Because we have one of the nation’s largest workforces, with a reach that touches every city and town, we believe we have an obligation to embrace “green” ways of doing business.

We not only serve every community in America, we live and raise our families there. So we understand that a sustainable future benefits all of us.

We plan our deliveries to every home and business to make them as energy-efficient as possible — whether we’re delivering with our vehicles or our “fleet of feet.”

Did you know that other major delivery providers, like FedEx and UPS, use our “last mile” residential network? So instead of two or three delivery vehicles driving around all those neighborhoods, through shared transportation we help reduce fuel use and lower carbon emissions.

And then there are the things we do that our customers don’t see.

Like investing $150 million annually on energy-saving improvements to our 34,000 postal facilities. That helps us use energy more sparingly and conserve resources. Some of our efforts don’t cost a dime. They are as simple as turning off lights in empty rooms and offices, or printing on both sides of a piece of paper.

We’ve also been recycling — big time — for years. We buy more than $200 million worth of products with recycled content annually. And we recycle 250,000 tons of wastepaper, cardboard, plastics and cans each year.

In addition to keeping all that waste from going into landfills, our business benefits from these sustainable practices as well. Last year, we generated $12 million in revenue through recycling. So working greener not only helps the planet, it has a positive impact on our bottom line.

By saving on energy and fuel use, we keep costs under control, helping us continue to provide the trusted service that Americans expect from their Postal Service — without spending a penny of taxpayers’ money.

And that’s always the right thing to do.

John E. Potter
Postmaster General/CEO