Green: The New Postal Blue

Pitney Bowes Joins Program with Fairfield County Postal Customers, Connecticut Business and Industry Association And Postal Service on Greening the Mail

Fairfield (CT) — The Postal Service is known for its trademark blue.  But today, your Post Office is working green. 

“Ten years ago, we were lucky to pay our trash haulers to take away our mixed paper for $30 per ton,” explains the Postal Service’s Connecticut District Manager, Edward Phelan, Jr.  “Today, we earn $85 for each ton of mixed paper that we recycle. Locally, our efforts have reduced landfill disposal costs and continue to grow a greener Connecticut.”

In a first-of-its-kind seminar for this region, Postal officials, the Fairfield County Connecticut Postal Customer Council and the Connecticut Business and Industry Association will host a workshop — Green Means Grow — to explore the greening of the mailing industry.  

The Workshop is scheduled for Thursday, April 17th from 8 am until 11:30 am at Sacred Heart University, 5151 Park Avenue in Fairfield. 
          
Along with a vendors’ hall and exhibits, the program will feature:

• Paul Robbertz, Pitney Bowes Vice President, Environment, Health and Safety Mr. Robbertz will review that company’s white paper, The Truth About Green, which explores how environmentally-savvy mailers can protect their industry and the environment.
• Mary Weber, Business Development Analyst, US Postal Service, Headquarters:  Ms. Weber will discuss environmental innovations and achievements by the Postal Service that include the environmental attributes of its envelopes, packages and mailing supplies and product take-back initiatives that use mail to dispose of potentially harmful consumer products.
• Serenity Edwards, Director of Corporate Responsibility, Direct Marketing Association, Washington DC Office:  Ms. Edwards will discuss the DMA’s landmark Green 15 Toolkit, which outlines practical and eco-friendly building blocks specifically for the direct marketing community.

“At our current pace, post offices in the Northeastern Area will reach the one-billion pound goal for recycling this August,” added Phelan.  “That saved $3 million in disposal costs for the stamp-buying public last year.  If we can do it, we know our mailing partners can, too.”

Reservations for Green Means Grow may be made at 203-332-5341 or via email at kathy.m.perez@usps.gov. Admission to the workshop is $15 with credit card payments accepted.

If paying by check make payable to FCCPCC in care of  K. Perez, US Postal Service,  120 Middle St.,  Bridgeport CT 06602-9998

Each year the Postal Service recycles one million tons of paper, plastic, and other material, resulting in millions of dollars in revenue and cost avoidance. In 2007, $7.5 million was generated through recycling and waste prevention. The Postal Service has been honored with 37 White House Closing the Circle Awards. The Postal Service also won the Environmental Protection Agency‘s 2007 WasteWise Partner of the Year Award, the program‘s highest honor, for the eighth year in a row.

The Postal Service’s Connecticut District serves more than 3.5 postal customers over more than 5,000 square miles through 218 post offices and an additional 80 stations and branches.  The District includes all the Post Offices in Fairfield County, CT.

A greener Postal Service homepage http://www.usps.com/green/welcome.htm