Sustainability is all about balancing the needs of people, planet, and profit to ensure a viable U.S. Postal Service® that provides affordable, universal service for current and future generations. Some people refer to this idea as the triple bottom line of sustainability. Currently, Postal Service™ employees are working hard to ensure sustainability, though they may not realize it.
Any time a facility undergoes an Environmental Compliance Review, Postal Service employees are doing their part to help protect the environment, which is the “planet” part of sustainability. And by participating in the Annual Food Drive or Combined Federal Campaign, Postal Service employees exhibit good social responsibility in their communities, which is the “people” part of sustainability. However, one aspect of sustainability is often overlooked — sustainability is good for business.
n Environmental compliance reduces the risks and associated costs of non-compliance.
n Diverting waste from landfills reduces trash disposal costs.
n The sale of recyclables increases revenue while helping the environment.
Last year, the U.S. Postal Service diverted over half of their trash to recycling, mostly through the National Recycling Operation. In this program, Undeliverable Standard Mail is backhauled from Post Offices™ to distribution centers and plants for consolidation (see blue.usps.gov/sustainability/national-recycling-operation.htm).
Employees’ recycling efforts last year resulted in over $7 million in trash disposal cost savings compared to the previous year, and generated nearly $16 million in revenue. This is the “profit” part of sustainability.
In support of the triple bottom line, the Postal Service is pleased to share details about our latest sustainability initiatives.
The Postal Service has awarded a new contract for universal waste management to Cleanlites Recycling, Inc. You can find contract information in the Material Logistics Bulletin, MLB-CO-18-003 (see blue.usps.gov/purchase/_pdf/ops_mlb18-003.pdf). The scope of available services includes:
n Waste pick-up,
n Transportation,
n Labeling,
n Waste profiling,
n Bill of lading preparation,
n Waste recycling, and
n Waste disposal.
The contract covers the following types of waste and related supplies:
n Batteries, including universal waste batteries (e.g., nickel-cadmium, nickel-metal hydride, lithium, lithium-ion, silver/mercury oxide, and small, sealed lead-acid batteries) and alkaline batteries;
n Lamps (light bulbs), including universal waste lamps (e.g., fluorescent and compact fluorescent lamps, high intensity discharge lamps, neon lamps, and LED lamps);
n Light ballasts that do not contain polychlorinated biphenyls;
n Mercury-containing equipment (e.g., thermometers, thermostats, electrical switches); and
n Containers and other supplies, as needed, to properly collect, store, and transport waste materials.
The Cleanlites Recycling, Inc. contract does not include any mailback services or pick-up/management services for vehicle batteries, industrial lead-acid batteries (e.g., forklift and towmotors), pesticides and herbicides, or state-specific universal wastes (e.g., Colorado aerosol cans or Texas paint and paint-related waste). These services are available through other suppliers in eBuy2.
Universal waste includes certain batteries, lamps, and mercury-containing equipment. Because these items contain toxic material(s), universal waste has specific federally mandated management and recycling requirements. Postal Service sites must clearly label and store universal waste in closed containers and properly train employees to manage these wastes. Additionally, sites must arrange for universal waste pick-up (or mailback) and subsequent off-site recycling within one year (365 days) of the day the waste was generated. Postal Service sites must also maintain recycling records. For more information about universal waste management requirements, see the following environmental compliance bulletins:
n Universal waste management requirements at blue.usps.gov/sustainability/environmental/_pdf/waste/ecb-univ-waste-mgmt.pdf.
n Used battery management at blue.usps.gov/sustainability/environmental/_pdf/waste/ecb-used-batteries.pdf.
n Waste lamp management at blue.usps.gov/sustainability/environmental/_pdf/waste/ecb-waste-lamps.pdf.
For Postal Service battery recycling, visit blue.usps.gov/sustainability/battery-recycling.htm.
Hydrogen fuel cell pilot test results from the Washington National Distribution Center (NDC) are in — the Postal Service realized over $3.5 million in annual cost-avoidance and operational savings.
In 2016, the Postal Service replaced lead-acid batteries with hydrogen fuel cells in all the power industrial vehicles (PIV) at the Washington NDC. First year pilot results include the following:
n Manpower savings from productivity improvements;
n Elimination of lead-acid battery system costs;
n Electricity savings; and
n 11,000 work hour savings.
PIV operator productivity increased by approximately 27 percent (as measured by the number of containers handled per hour). Hydrogen fuel cells also reduced down time for maintenance and refueling, provided steady voltage, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Over a 5-year period, the hydrogen fuel cells are projected to save as much as $19 million.
Used by more than 5,600 USPS® facilities, the Utility Management System (UMS) captures billing and consumption data in a centralized, electronic repository. The objective is to track utility consumption and spend data so the Postal Service can reduce utility costs. Key elements of UMS include:
n Uses third party utility bill review and payment services.
n Identifies billing errors and excessive usage.
n Eliminates late payment fees and penalties.
n Reduces work hours for field accounting personnel.
n Reports facility energy usage to the Department of Energy.
n Complies with Environmental Protection Agency guidelines to set baseline, goals, and targets for energy improvements.
n Identifies state and local taxes and tracks account compliance.
n Provides notices on expired tax exempt certifications.
Provides an opportunity to participate in rate optimization and energy-saving programs at available sites.
EnergyUnited/CAPTURIS processes all invoices for the participating facilities. Utility bills and consumption data are captured and reviewed to flag inconsistencies. In FY 2017, the total energy spend for participating facilities was $402 million. For more information about cost savings, visit link.usps.com/2015/04/29/follow-the-money/.
The Postal Service works hard every day to increase the value of our brand by offering new, innovative services that meet the needs of business customers. That’s why the Postal Service developed the Secure Destruction (SD) mail service program. SD mail service provides mailers with a more sustainable and cost-effective way to manage letter-size First-Class Mail® containing protected personal information (PPI). Currently, the Postal Service is diligently working to expand SD mail service by extending it to flat-sized First-Class Mail. For Earth Day 2018, mailers can help make the mail more sustainable by using value-added programs like SD mail service and other USPS BlueEarth® sustainability services.
SD mail service is an opt-in program offered by the U.S. Postal Service as part of USPS BlueEarth sustainability service initiative. SD mail service ensures that letter-sized Undeliverable-As-Addressed (UAA) First-Class Mail containing PPI that would otherwise be returned to sender is securely shredded and recycled. Here is the SD mail service process:
1. Letter-size First-Class Mail enters USPS processing facility.
2. UAA mail is labeled and sorted for secure destruction.
3. All UAA mail is verified by USPS employees before destruction.
4. All verified mail is fed into an industrial cross-cut shredder at USPS processing facility.
5. USPS processing facilities recycle the shredded mail.
SD mail service is good for business and the environment. UAA mail is securely destroyed within USPS processing facilities to keep PPI safe. Also, recycling and eliminating unnecessary reverse logistics (returning physical mailpieces to senders) reduces the carbon footprint of UAA mail. Both the mailers and the Postal Service save money by reducing operational costs.
Companies or agencies currently internally destroying return to sender mail containing PPI, such as:
n Health records protected under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996;
n Financial records protected under the Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999;
n Consumer records protected by state security breach notification laws;
n Federal government records protected under the Privacy Act of 1974;
n Credit card records governed by payment card industry data security standards; and
n Personal records that create liabilities for companies or customers if they are not securely destroyed.
Mailers interested in SD mail service must use the following options to register:
n A Mailer Identifier (Mailer ID or MID) is required for Intelligent Mail® barcode (IMb™) mail. Use your existing account or register to get a Mailer ID for letter-size Full Service or Basic IMb First-Class Mail. For more information, visit postalpro.usps.com/mailing/secure-destruction.
n Use your existing account or register for a SingleSource Address Change Service (ACS™), OneCode ACS®, or Traditional ACS account. To open an ACS account, send an email to the ACS Department at acs@usps.gov or call 877-640-0724, option 1.
n Use your existing Electronic Product Ful\uFB01llment (EPF) account or complete an EPF Web Access Request form (see epf.usps.gov/).
n Complete the SD enrollment form (see postalpro.usps.com/node/614).
n Use the appropriate SD Service Type Identi\uFB01er based on ACS type and ancillary service options.
n For more information about SD mail service, visit the PostalPro Secure Destruction web page at postalpro.usps.com/mailing/secure-destruction.
n If you have SD Enrollment and eNotification questions, contact the National Customer Support Center by phone at 877-640-0724, option 1, or via email at acs@usps.gov.
n If you have SD program questions, contact Ron Robbins, SD program manager, by phone at 203-574-6590 or via email at ronald.f.robbins@usps.gov.
n For Information on all USPS BlueEarth sustainability services, visit the Sustainability web page at about.usps.com/what-we-are-doing/green/welcome.htm.
— Corporate Sustainability Initiatives,
Office of Sustainability, 4-12-18
