GREEN EVERY WHERE......

The U.S. Postal Service’s first green roof is another example of its proactive environmental

leadership, and continues the Postal Service’s commitment to making a positive impact on

the environment. The Morgan Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC) is a showcase of

resource conservation and innovation.The green roof atop the Morgan P&DC is the first developed

by the Postal Service, and at 109,000 square feet — nearly2.5 acres — is the largest in New York, and one of the largest in the country. It also is one of the largest PostalService environmental projects to date.

Seven stories above the streets of Manhattan, the green roof project began in September 2008 after the old roof was deemed strong enough to support the additional weight of the soil and vegetation of a green roof. Construction was completed in July 2009.The green roof at the Morgan P&DC is much more than a pretty space. It will last 50 years, twice as long as the roof it replaced, and it will reduce the amount of storm water

runoff into the New York municipal water system by as much as 75 percent in summer and 40 percent in winter. The green roof is more energy efficient than a traditional roof, and is projected to save the Postal Service $30,000 annually in heating and cooling costs.During construction only approximately 15,000 square

feet was removed and replaced. Nearly 90 percent of the original roof was recycled and reused on the new roof. The 176 copper column caps, now green due to natural oxidation, are original to the building, and continue to define Morgan as a historic building.The Morgan green roof is an outdoor oasis, providing a

safe and sustainable environment for employees. It features14 benches and an art wall made of Brazilian ipe wood, certified sustainable by the Forest Stewardship Council,and requires no maintenance, sealants or staining. All plants and vegetation are native to the region and comprise approximately 59 percent of the green roof surface.Native plants and ground cover include: Coral Carpet, John Creech, Weinhenstephaner, Immergrunchen, Fudaglut, and Red Carpet.The Morgan P&DC was built in 1933, and designated a historical landmark in 1986. Morgan features 1,600 windows, and at 2.2 million square feet, it is one of the

largest mail processing facilities in the country. USPS intends to pursue Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for the Morgan facility. This green roof is part of the Postal Service’s successful greener facilities strategy, which includes a goal to reduce energy use 30 percent by 2015.

Did you know that the wood and paper industry plants 1.7 million new trees every day—over 650 million each year, more than making up for all the products made of wood? In fact, since 1987 U.S. forests have increased by 12 million acres to 755 million nationwide—about the same as 100 years ago.

www.abundantforests.org 

Recycle

The Environmental Protection Agency recognizes all mail as recyclable mixed paper waste, so don’t forget to add yours to the recycle bin when you’re done with it. And many shipping materials, like that cardboard box your shoes came in, can be recycled in your local recycling program.

Learn about recycling in your community .

Reuse

Speaking of that box your shoes came in, isn’t it the perfect size for sending your niece’s birthday gift? You can also shred old direct mail and reuse it as packing material to hold that gift in place.

Not only can you recycle the mail you receive, but you can also share your magazines and catalogs with family and friends, or donate them to hospitals, clinics, and doctors’ offices for the waiting room, to retirement communities, and to schools for use in art projects. 

Find more ideas from the Direct Marketing Association 

Reduce

When you move, make sure to update your address. This ensures that you receive the mail you want and reduces waste.

Change your address now 

You have a say in what goes in your mailbox

You can manage your mail by working with any number of outside organizations. You can also try contacting the businesses that send you catalogs and offers and tell them exactly what you would like to receive.

Leaving a green footprint

The Postal Service, by integrating sound environmental business practices into day-to-day operations, is delivering a greener tomorrow.

Greening our buildings

Our facilities are using less energy and have less impact on the environment.

The U.S. Postal Service is committed to making a positive impact on the environment, taking proactive measures wherever possible to make environmentally responsible decisions. USPS creates sustainable spaces for employees and customers working in and conducting business at 33,000 postal facilities across the country. The Postal Service also continues to enhance standards and processes to design, construct and operate the most sustainable and efficient buildings that are life-cycle cost effective.

• Postal buildings are going green. New postal facilities are built and renovated with the indoor and outdoor environment in mind. These facilities use less energy and have less impact on the environment.
• The Denver Mile-High Station Post Office has been honored with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification by the U.S. Green Building Council, becoming the first LEED-certified Post Office in the country. LEED certification is a nationally accepted rating system that measures the environmental attributes and sustainable features of buildings.
• The Southampton Main Post Office on Long Island in New York is the latest Postal Service-owned LEED certified facility. Certified green features there include native drought-resistant plants to reduce water use, timers on parking lot lights, energy-efficient windows and water heaters that only heat water when a hot water tap is turned on.
• The Morgan Processing and Distribution Center in downtown Manhattan has a green roof. At nearly 2.5 acres, the roof is an environmental oasis designed to reduce energy use and provide a safe, sustainable outdoor environment for employees. It is the largest green roof in New York City.
• Post Office lobby design standards have been updated to incorporate environmentally conscious building components, including linoleum or bio-based floor tiles, low volatile organic compound (VOC) products, counters and cabinetry using environmentally sensitive, renewable materials and veneers
• The Postal Service continues to use solar photovoltaic systems that convert sunlight directly into electricity. USPS is currently investigating conversion of a significant portion of its purchased power to come from renewable sources.
• USPS is working to reduce the energy intensity of its building portfolio 30 percent by 2015.
• A variety of high performance sustainable building design concepts are integrated within the Postal Service’s national building design standards, used for all new construction as well as repair and alteration projects. Some examples of sustainable building concepts are use of energy efficient lighting, heating ventilation air conditioning (HVAC), low VOC paints, recycled-content materials and low water use fixtures.
• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has honored the Postal Service with itsEnvironmental Achievement Award for use of “green solutions” in the Pacific Area, including solar photovoltaic systems, fuel cells and combined heat and power generation.
• Native plant species are used in landscaping at postal facilities around the country to minimize the use of water and energy resources.
• A group of North Carolina Post Offices implemented advanced metering and remote monitoring and control of HVAC systems, reducing energy consumption an average of 14 percent at those locations. These systems automatically set heat and air conditioning levels to needed temperatures before employees arrive for work and then permit energysaving temperatures during the hours the facilities are unoccupied.

 

Greening our vehicles

We plan to reduce vehicle petrolueum fuel use 20 percent and increase the use of alternative fuel 10 percent, both by 2015.

Fuel-efficient vehicles

The first electric vehicle joined the Postal Service fleet in 1899, more than 100 years ago, after proving to be more efficient than a horse and buggy. Today, 30 electric vans are used to transport mail to processing facilities in New York City.Throughout history, the U.S. Postal Service hasampioned every new mode of transportation in its ongoing effort to provide prompt, reliable, universal mail delivery. From horse-drawn wagons and stage coaches, to trains, automobiles, planes and alternative fuel vehicles, the Postal Service has been at the cutting edge of transportation. With the largest civilian fleet in the world — nearly 217,000 vehicles traveling more than 1.2 billion miles a year — USPS consistently looks for ways to reduce the environmental impact of its fleet.

• Mail is being delivered on a trial basis by three-wheel electric vehicles in Florida, California and Arizona. The T3 has a range of 40 miles, a maximum speed of 12 mph and a load capacity of 450 pounds. Powered by two, rechargeable power modules, the T3 has zero gas emissions and costs 2 cents a mile to operate.
• The Postal Service has more than 44,000 alternative fuel-capable vehicles. Nearly 40,000 are ethanol-capable. As part of its ongoing efforts to reduce the use of petroleumbased fuel, USPS purchased more than 1 million gallons of alternative fuel and increased E85 fuel consumption by 26 percent between 2008 and 2009.
• Fuel-cell technology promises the benefits of zero greenhouse gases, zero air pollutants, more energy efficiency and less reliance on oil. The Postal Service is testing two fourth-generation hydrogen fuel-cell Chevrolet Equinox vehicles in a partnership with General Motors and funding from the U.S. Department of Energy. A hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle has been delivering mail in Irvine, CA, since September 2006. A second fuel-cell vehicle is being tested in Washington, DC.
• In December 2009, five companies were selected for a pilot program to convert USPS gasoline Long Life Vehicles (LLVs) to Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs). Each company will develop its own electric-powered LLV prototype for testing this summer.
• Tests are under way on hybrid electric vans from Eaton Corp. and Azure Dynamics. They join the 10 existing Hybrid-Electric Ford Escape vehicles currently in the fleet.
• The Postal Service reduces the risk associated with testing any new technology by using avehicle R&D strategy that calls for testing fuels and technologies in operational conditions to determine their overall viability and value to postal operations.
• Mail also is delivered the most energy efficient way possible: it’s walked. This “fleet of feet”delivers mail door-to-door and neighbor-to-neighbor by walking more than 9,000 mail delivery routes every day. We also have nearly 80,000 “park and loop” routes where letter carriers deliver mail on foot on the majority of the route after driving to neighborhoods first.
• About 35 delivery vehicles have been converted to run on propane in Key West and several hundred heavy-duty vehicles run on biodiesel fuel nationwide.

T-3 electric vehicle

USPS hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle

USPS hybrid electric delivery vehicle

Greener than you think

In many other ways USPS is meeting the needs of the present without compromising the future.

In fact, when it comes to green practices, we’releading by example.

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  Everyone — consumers, businesses, nonprofits and government organizations — uses the mail, and the U.S. Postal Service is committed to managing resources wisely to minimize mail’s environmental impact. Across the organization, from supply management to facilities to delivery, the Postal Service is integrating sound environmental business practices into day-to-day operations. Leading by example, USPS is meeting the needs of the present without compromising the future.
  • According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the nation’s environmental watchdog, advertising mail represents less than 2.4 percent of the nearly 254 million tons of municipal solid waste created annually. Nearly 40 percent of advertising mail is recycled.
  • The Postal Service is recognized as an environmental innovator and leader, and has been honored with more than 75 major environmental awards, including 40 White House Closing the Circle Awards for environmental stewardship and 10 WasteWise Partner of the Year awards for best government performance from the EPA.
  • usps.com/green helps consumers make environmentally responsible decisions about their mail. A key feature of the site is the “skip the trip” calculator that consumers can use to see how much they can help the environment and how much money they can save conducting postal business online.
  • The Postal Service Sustainability Report is also available on usps.com/green. The report highlights USPS sustainability progress and looks at the challenges ahead.
  • More than a half-billion packages and envelopes provided to customers by the Postal Service annually are nearly 100 percent recyclable and created using environmentally friendly materials. USPS is the only shipping or mailing company to earn Cradle to Cradle Certification™ based on the quality of raw materials used to produce Priority Mail and Express Mail packaging, cardboard signs in Post Office lobbies and ReadyPost® packaging and shipping supplies — including tape and labels.
    • About 3,000 individual component materials were scientifically evaluated against 39 human and environmental criteria, including renewable energy, water use and recyclability.
    • All suppliers providing USPS boxes, envelopes and other certified materials must also adhere to Cradle to Cradle standards.
  • The Postal Service continues to use and benefit from solar power from California to Rhode Island, with solar photovoltaic systems that convert sunlight directly into electricity.
  • An Office of Sustainability coordinates energy, fuel, recycling and sustainability programs across USPS and among 600,000 employees. Program goals include fleet and facility energy reduction and creating a culture of conservation in every internal business unit and with every external business partner.
  • The Postal Service partners with companies, agencies and organizations in ongoing pilot mail-back programs to safely recycle and properly dispose of e-waste, including small electronics, compact fluorescent lamps and discarded or expired pharmaceuticals. These programs leverage USPS’ national infrastructure, create customer convenience and find new, innovative uses for the mail.
  • “Read, Respond, Recycle” is the simple, effective message behind Post Office Box Lobby Recycling programs at more than 8,000 postal facilities across the country. By placing secure recycle bins in Post Office lobbies, the Postal Service is making it even easier for customers to make environmentally friendly choices.
  • The Postal Service created and leads the Greening the Mail Task Force, a public/private partnership charged with improving the environmental performance of mail. Members include customers, industry groups, suppliers, environmental organizations and the EPA. One of the primary goals is to work with marketers to make sure that mail is addressed and targeted correctly so consumers receive the mail they want.
  • The Postal Service is the first federal agency to publicly report its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and to receive thirdparty verification of the results. USPS direct GHG emissions total 5.3 million tons, only one-twentieth of 1 percent of the total GHG emissions in America.