New Jersey postal officials say “Read, Respond, Recycle”

Northern NJ— New Jersey postal officials are joining a nationwide pilot program to make it easier for Post Office Box customers to recycle their mail. “Read, Respond, Recycle” is the banner for this new program that places recycling bins in select Post Office lobbies to provide customers with a convenient, environmentally responsible alternative to bringing home or discarding their mail.

Currently, the three participating postal lobbies in the Northern NJ area are: The Newark Main Post Office, 2 Federal Square, Newark, NJ 07102, The Patterson Post Office, 194 Ward Street, Patterson NJ, 07510, and the Elizabeth Post Office, 310 N Broad Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07208.

All recycling bins are locked with a key and the opening is slim — about the width of a news magazine. Post Office Box customers are encouraged to remove and open their mail (read), take whatever action is necessary (respond) and simply place the rest of their mail into the bin (recycle).

The Postal Service has a long and proud environmental record, and annually recycles more than 1 million tons of paper, plastic and other materials. “Read, Respond, Recycle” builds on the success of similar programs that have been ongoing in the New England area.

Extensive information on the Postal Service’s environmental efforts available online at usps.com/green.

# # #

Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/welcome.htm.

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.