For an organization that depends largely upon pushing paper, the U.S. Postal Service is the “unlikely” lead among environmentally responsible government agencies. Since launching its eco-friendly initiatives on Earth Day 2009, the USPS® has introduced several programs, services, and products focused on reducing waste and “greening” their overall operations. The USPS is taking a comprehensive approach to environmental stewardship that includes waste and pollution reduction, emissions reductions, green purchasing policies, increased recycling, and the development of earth-friendly products and services.
In recognition of its efforts, the Postal Service has received over 70 environmental awards, including the White House Environmental Award, the Closing-the-Circle Award, and the first-ever Environmental Achievement of the Year Award. In addition to these awards, the USPS has achieved Cradle-to-CradleCM certification, which encourages sustainable business practices through “environmentally-intelligent design criteria.” This means that the products and practices used by the Postal Service are deemed to be environmentally friendly, energy-efficient, and developed with social responsibility in mind.
The Postal Service is also greening-up its fleet, buildings, power sources, and operations to reduce energy costs. Explore the USPS Green site to read about specific achievements, goals, and initiatives in these areas. Considering the success of their efforts to date, we are likely to see more earth-friendly business innovation from the USPS.
The Postal Service is sending us a green message. Are you listening?
Maura Betler has been writing about postal and marketing software products since 1991. She is a senior member of the Society for Technical Communication (STC), and a winner of the Phoenix STC Distinguished Service Award. Maura holds an M.A. in Technical and Professional writing from Northern Arizona University, where her graduate work focused on technical communication for multicultural audiences.
0 Response to “USPS® Initiatives Add Some Green to the Red, White, and Blue”