U.S. Postal Service to Announce Expansion of Recycling Program to Chicago

What:
Press Conference announcing expansion of nationwide recycling program to Chicago

Who:
Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-7)
John E. Potter, Postmaster General of the United States
Samuel M. Pulcrano, Vice President, Sustainability, U.S. Postal Service
Gloria E. Tyson, District Manager/Postmaster, Chicago District, USPS

When:
Tuesday, October 28, 10 a.m.

Where:
Chicago Main Post Office - East Lobby
433 W Harrison St
Chicago IL 60699-9998

Background:
The U.S. Postal Service will announce the expansion of a program which offers its Post Office Box customers a convenient, environmentally responsible alternative to bringing home or discarding their mail.

The Postal Service has a long and proud environmental record, and annually recycles more than 1 million tons of paper, plastic and other materials.

Each year, the Postal Service purchases more than $200 million in products containing recycled content. Many of the containers that hold and move mail in the postal system are made from recycled materials, as are stamped envelopes, postcards, and stamp booklet covers. Additionally, the adhesive used in postage stamps is biodegradable.

The Postal Service is the only shipping company in the country to earn Cradle to Cradle certification for all Priority Mail and Express Mail packages and envelopes based on the environmental attributes of the materials used in the packaging.

In March, Post Offices, stations and branches in the metropolitan Chicago area joined the Mail Back program, which provides postage-paid envelopes in postal lobbies for customers to recycle unwanted small electronics devices. So far, nearly ten tons of cell phones, printer cartridges, music players and PDAs have been diverted from landfills through this service.

Contact:
Mark Reynolds (312) 983-8371, cell (312) 351-5868
mark.v.reynolds@usps.gov