Designed to promote sustainability with customers and employees, USPS BlueEarth services were expanded in 2015 to include the Secure Destruction Mail Service Program, which enhances privacy protections while at the same time benefits the environment.
More than 1.4 billion First-Class Mail pieces are returned to mailers each year. The Secure Destruction program offers business mailers using the Intelligent Mail barcode the option — at no additional fee — to have undeliverable letter–size First–Class Mail automatically incercepted then securely shredded and recycled. This mail contains personal protected information that would otherwise be returned to the sender, adding cost to both our operations and our customers. The process takes place within secure USPS facilities by postal employees, reducing risks of information exposure. All securely destroyed mail is recycled.
In 2015, this program intercepted and destroyed over 23.1 million mailpieces, recycled 590 metric tons of paper and surpassed our target of 21.7 million pieces. We estimate that for every 25,000 pieces of mail intercepted and destroyed, carbon emissions are reduced by 1 metric ton of carbon dioxide.
