In response to the growing interest in “green” products, a company called ecoenvelopes™ has developed a design for reusable window envelopes that can be used with permit imprint mailings, giving mailers more flexibility to print, distribute, and mail reusable window envelopes.
To facilitate this new design, the Postal Service™ worked with ecoenvelopes to change a mail preparation requirement that prohibited the placement of a facing identification mark (FIM) on the front (address) side of reusable window envelopes. Prior to the change, mailers were required to place the FIM on the reverse side of a reusable envelope, but that limited the design and use of a reusable window envelope. By revising Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) sections 601.6.5 and 708.9.1 to allow the use of a FIM on the address side of reusable window envelopes, the Postal Service paved the way for a cost-effective, simple-to-use solution that eliminates the need for a separate reply mail envelope and helps to conserve precious resources. Since permit imprint mailings do not pass through facer-canceller operations, the placement of a FIM on the address side of a reusable envelope does not affect processing operations. (See the article titled “DMM Revision: Facing Identification Marks on Reusable Envelopes” in Postal Bulletin 22199 (2-1-07, page 13).)
In ecoenvelopes’ design, the permit imprint indicia for the originating mailpiece is printed on the insert and displayed to the right of the address block through a glassine window, and the delivery barcode is also visible through the window. The appropriate FIM (A or C) is printed on the envelope. See Exhibit 1.
Exhibit 1
When the return method uses Business Reply Mail® service, the address block, delivery barcode, legend, horizontal bars, and “No Postage Necessary” indicia appear through the same glassine window. The appropriate FIM (A or C) is printed on the envelope. See Exhibit 2.
Exhibit 2
On the Courtesy Reply Mail™ outgoing envelope, the return address, address block, delivery barcode, and permit postage indicia appear through the window. The appropriate FIM (A or C) is printed on the envelope. See Exhibit 3.
Exhibit 3
On the Courtesy Reply Mail return envelope, the customer’s return address, delivery barcode, and address block appear through the window, and the postage is affixed to the envelope as usual. The appropriate FIM (A or C) is printed on the envelope. See Exhibit 4.
Exhibit 4
For more information about ecoenvelopes, see the company’s Web site at www.ecoenvelopes.com.
By working with companies such as ecoenvelopes to develop new and innovative strategies, the Postal Service is supporting efforts to save our resources and help protect our environment — in fact, nearly all of the more than half a billion Express Mail® and Priority Mail® packages and envelopes that the Postal Services provides free of charge to customers each year are recyclable.
— Correspondence and Transactions, Product Development, 8-16-07
