Postal Service to Announce Vice President of Sustainability

What:
The U.S. Postal Service will announce the creation of a corporate vice president of sustainability in the state with the most progressive environmental record in the nation – California.

Who:
Postmaster General John Potter will name the vice president, who will oversee all sustainability and energy programs and efforts throughout the organization. Identity will be announced at the National Postal Forum.

When:
9 a.m. Pacific
Monday, May 19

Where:
Convention Center Ballroom, third floor
Anaheim Convention Center
Convention Way

Background:
As one of the nation’s leading corporate citizens, the U.S. Postal Service is committed to environmental stewardship. USPS empowers consumers to “go green” through a comprehensive approach to mail production, delivery and recycling that enhances sustainability, meeting the needs of the present without compromising the future:

The Postal Service is the only shipping company in the country to achieve Cradle to Cradle certification for the environmental qualities of its Express Mail and Priority Mail boxes and envelopes. Changes made in the production of Express and Priority mail eliminates 15,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases annually.
USPS recycles more than 1 million tons of paper, plastic and other materials.
The “Mail Back” pilot program provides postage-paid envelopes to recycle small electronics including PDAs, cell phones and inkjet cartridges.
USPS is working with OSRAM SYLVANIA and Veolia Environmental Services to recycle compact fluorescent lamps.
Water-based inks are used to print stamps; and bio-based oil, alternative fuels such as compressed natural gas, hydrogen or ethanol gas, are used on Postal Service vehicles.

Interviews can be arranged by contacting Joanne Veto at joanne.m.veto@usps.gov, (202) 285-2168 or (714) 765-2090.

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An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that visits every address in the nation — 146 million homes and businesses. It has 37,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses, not tax dollars. The Postal Service has annual revenues of $75 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail.