Green Teams as Change Agents for Waste and Cost Reduction

Lean Green Teams are continuing forward in FY 2015 to get their facilities signed up on the Green Initiative Tracking Tool (GITT). On the GITT, teams are selecting easy low- and no-cost projects to reduce wasted facility energy, vehicle fuel, water, and spending on office supplies. A main priority of Lean Green Teams this year is to work on diverting solid waste from landfills to recycling in order to reduce disposal costs and build revenue. USPS^® efforts in the National Recycling Operation have resulted in a positive impact to the bottom line of tens of millions of dollars in each of the past few years. But there is still a lot of opportunity to get involved in reducing waste and cost, boosting revenue, and making the USPS a more sustainable place to work. Every little bit makes a difference, especially when you multiply even the smallest savings by over 31,000 facilities and 210,000 vehicles.

This year, we have more options to help Lean Green Teams save money and generate revenue for the USPS, including helping to divert USPS eWaste to the Topeka Asset Recovery Center and promoting awareness and usage of the USPS BlueEarth^® Federal Recycling Program.

Lean Green Teams can also work with supervisors to deploy Notice 890-A on all dumpsters and compactors at Postal facilities. Notice 890-A is intended to remind employees and custodians that electronic waste must never be disposed of in landfills.

Notice 890-A, Do Not Put in Compactor or Dumpster

Facility managers and Postmasters should use the eBuy online catalog requisition system to order Notice 890-A from the MDC. Search for items using the PSN listed (without the dashes). If your office doesn’t have access to eBuy, order using touch-tone order entry (TTOE): Call 800-273-1509.Note: You must be registered to use TTOE. To register, call 800-332-0317, option 1, extension 2925, and follow the prompts to leave a message (wait 48 hours after registration before placing your first order). For TTOE ordering instruc­tions, call 800-332-0317, option 4, option 4.

Use the following information to order Notice 890-A:

PSIN: NOT 890A

PSN: 7690-13-000-5381

Unit of Measure: EA

Minimum Order Quantity: 1

Bulk Pack Quantity: N/A

Quick Pick Number: N/A

Price: $0.00

Edition Date: 03/12

If you aren’t a member of a Lean Green Team at your facility, take a look at the Lean Green Team home page at http://blue.usps.gov/sustainability/greenteams.htm. You will find links to the Lean Green Team Guide and other resources to help you reduce waste and conserve resources at your facility.

National Recycling Operation: A Five-Year Strategy for Paper Recycling

The Postal Service™ has launched a National Recycling Operation, which will institute a standardized mixed paper backhaul recycling program in postal facilities over five years.

Recycling can no longer be considered an optional part of postal business operations. In many places, it’s now required by law. This initiative is not just “the right thing to do” — it is also a viable solution to present financial challenges:

n The National Recycling Operation could generate millions in combined savings and revenue. Addition­ally, it could double current postal recycling rates.

n Backhaul recycling uses reverse logistics in which Post Offices™ transport their mixed paper recycla­bles, such as undeliverable Standard Mail^®, on existing transportation trips to a servicing hub.

n In 2014, the Postal Service expanded recycling of mixed paper, which generated important revenue and waste disposal savings. Increased recycling through the National Recycling Operation can expand on the efforts to generate more revenue as well as further increase savings by reducing waste disposal costs.

n During the staged rollout, hub facilities will receive new equipment and employees will receive training to implement the necessary steps.

For a brief overview of how the National Recycling Oper­ation works, take a look at the animated video at the following link: http://ipchecker/USPSTV/NRO.wmv.

For a more in-depth description, Postmaster General Megan Brennan and Chief Sustainability Officer Tom Day describe the program in a short video at this link: http://ipchecker/USPSTV/NRO_2014.wmv.

For further questions, email us at sustainability@usps.gov.