The Postal Service™ has been recognized as a sustainability leader among other federal agencies and private industry for many years. Today, the Postal Service is actively involved in the National United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Federal Green Challenge Program and the USEPA WasteWise Program. Over the past two decades, the Postal Service received numerous White House Closing the Circle Awards and GreenGov Presidential Awards for its accomplishments in sustainability. The same is true with the USEPA WasteWise Program, where the USPS® received several Federal Partner of the Year Awards and has been inducted into the WasteWise Hall of Fame.
Just this past month, the U.S. Postal Service® was one of ten public and private organizations nationwide to receive a 2017 Climate Leadership Award from the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The USPS won in the category of Supply Chain Leadership for implementing a comprehensive set of green supply chain strategies:
n Purchasing green;
n Working green by reducing waste in our daily practices and recycling; and
n Selling green by providing green products and services for our customers.
Examples of our supply chain strategy include the USPS BlueEarth® Carbon Accounting, Federal Recycling, and Secure Destruction programs. For more information, visit epa.gov/climateleadership/2017-climate-leadership-award-winners#USPS.
This circular green supply chain strategy involves each and every employee of the U.S. Postal Service.
Every time you use eBuy2, you have the opportunity to purchase green products, also known as environmentally preferred products (EPP). Over the past few years, the number of EPP made available in eBuy2 has been increasing. As a result of our internal communication efforts, we purchased over $357.2 million of green products (i.e. EPP) in FY 2016 that weighed over 194,468 tons. This is an $84.2 million increase (31 percent) in green product purchases over our FY 2015 numbers. By investing in EPP, we support our mission to protect our planet, employees, and the communities we serve. We also save money and reduce corporate risk.
When ordering on eBuy2, look for the “Green Leaf” logo to locate and buy green products. These products have at least one of the five EPP attributes consistent with federal guidelines. To learn more about the USPS Green Purchasing Program and EPP, please check out the USPS Green Purchasing Guide at blue.usps.gov/sustainability/_pdf/Green_Puchasing_Guidance_2015.pdf.
Postal Service employees also “work green” every day when they do something to prevent pollution, reduce waste, or conserve natural resources. We have practiced pollution prevention (P2) for over two decades. P2, by definition, means elimination of waste at the source, which is achieved when we modify practices and processes that create waste. When we cannot eliminate waste at the source, the next preferred option is “Reuse” followed by “Recycle.” This is where the motto Reduce – Reuse – Recycle comes from. A few examples of our P2 efforts are:
1. Using non-hazardous parts and brake cleaning solutions to replace hazardous solvents.
2. Replacing lead wheel weights with non-hazardous steel weights.
3. Eliminating the use of hazardous aerosol chemical products.
Other examples include using retread tires, re-refined motor oils, recycled antifreeze, and re-manufactured auto parts. Most of us are also familiar with the Postal Service’s National Recycling Operation (NRO) which focuses on recovering valuable paper, such as undeliverable mail, mixed paper, and cardboard using our reverse logistics transportation network.
We can also “work green” through our supply chain procurement requirements and practices. It means smarter ways of conducting business, and expecting the same from our supply vendors and service contractors. Done properly, greening our suppliers and service providers offers environmental benefits and cost savings to all involved. In 2014, the USPS added sustainable procurement clauses into its national Supplying Practices and Principals Procurement Guide to increase water and energy efficiency, and the purchase of bio-based, recycled content and EPP. Currently, USPS personnel are automating sustainability purchasing reporting metrics to gather information to promote program visibility.
The USPS helps its customers by providing them with products and services that are “green.” Our USPS BlueEarth® Programs reduce waste, increase recycling, and improve the carbon footprint of the entire mailing industry. Active BlueEarth Programs include:
n USPS BlueEarth Carbon Accounting Service. Allows commercial customers to determine Scope 3 GHG emissions associated with their mail and packages sent through the Postal Service. The service provides customers with an online report to analyze carbon emissions and the environmental impact of their supply chain.
n USPS BlueEarth Federal Recycling Program. Helps us support our customers’ waste reduction efforts. This innovative solution offers participating government agencies a way to securely recycle empty printer cartridges and small electronics free of charge. Twenty-seven federal agencies are currently enrolled in the program. Participating agencies receive detailed recycling activity reports to help them comply with Executive Order 13693 requirements. Additionally, this program is part of the federal National Strategy for Electronic Stewardship.
n USPS BlueEarth Secure Destruction. Promotes the protection of our customers’ and employees’ privacy in a sustainable manner. This service automatically intercepts, securely destroys, and recycles undeliverable-as-addressed First-Class Mail® with no additional fee to our customers. This mail often includes personal protected information that would otherwise be returned to the sender, which imposes costs on both our operations and our customers. The program also helps reduce landfill waste and avoids associated carbon emissions through recycling securely-destroyed items. In 2016, more than 30.6 million pieces of undeliverable mail were captured, destroyed, and recycled — an increase of over 5.3 million pieces of mail captured compared to 2015.
For Earth Day and every day that follows, help us make an effort to Purchase Green, Work Green, and Sell Green both at work and at home.
— Corporate Sustainability Initiatives,
Office of Sustainability, 4-13-17
