USPS and postal organizations around the world will mark the third annual Green Postal Day on Sept. 17.
On Green Postal Day, organized by the International Post Corp. (IPC), 16 posts worldwide reiterate their commitment to contribute to a more sustainable economy and society.
According to an IPC survey this year, consumers are increasingly concerned about the environmental effects of e-commerce.
As much as half of online cross-border shoppers would prefer packaging materials to be sustainable and parcel deliveries to be carbon neutral, meaning an organization’s operations emit the same amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere that they offset by some other means.
USPS is participating in this year’s Green Postal Day by highlighting its efforts to reduce energy usage and divert trash from landfills through its National Recycling Operation.
Additionally, the Priority Mail boxes offered by USPS meet Sustainable Forestry Initiative and Forest Stewardship Council certification standards, which means that the paper for those boxes comes from well-managed forests and are 100 percent recyclable.
USPS is also working to replace its aging delivery vehicles with a more efficient fleet during the next 10 years, and the organization continues to work on renewable energy projects, including initiatives that use solar and hydrogen fuel cell technology.
The 2021 Annual Sustainability Report has more information about the Postal Service’s environmental efforts.
