According to the USPS website, this is some of what they’re doing to minimize their impact on the environment…

We find ways to cut back…

• We use water-based inks to print stamps.
• We use refined bio-based oil, alternative fuels such as compressed natural gas, hydrogen, or ethanol gas, and re-tread tires on our fleet of Postal vehicles
• We’re constantly streamlining our delivery routes to reduce driving time and fuel use.

Our alternative fuel vehicles help in more ways than one…

The Postal Service has the largest civilian vehicle fleet in the nation and over 43,000 of them are alternative-fuel capable. Our E-85 alternative-fuel project put 584 ethanol-powered vehicles on the road in Minnesota alone. Since we primarily refuel at commercial retail fueling locations, our fleet generates demand for alternative fuels nationwide.

We encourage advanced vehicle technology…
General Motors and the Postal Service worked together to test the GM HydroGen3 fuel cell minivan for deliveries in the Washington, D.C. metro area and Irvine, CA—the first commercial use of a fuel cell vehicle in the nation. Our other vehicle technology efforts include advanced diesel vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, and electric CitiVans, which are recognized by the EPA as zero emission vehicles.

Other ways we reduce energe use…

• We are upgrading our buildings to reduce energy use. Our objective is to reduce our energy consumption 30% by 2015.
• We deliver the mail in the most energy-efficient way possible—a third of our deliveries are made on foot.

We recycle a lot…

Every year we recycle about one million tons of wastepaper, cardboard, plastics, cans, and other stuff. We also generate about $7.5 million in revenue from those recycling activities.

We buy used recycled materials…

We purchase more than $200 million worth of products containing recycled content each year. Many of the containers in our mail system are made from recycled materials, and so are the stamped envelopes, post cards, stamp booklet covers, and packaging materials we provide.

We provide recyclable products…

The adhesives used in our stamps are biodegradable, and our Priority Mail® and Express Mail® boxes and envelopes are Cradle to Cradle^SM certified. So they can go right in the recycling bin.

We reuse old materials…

Through various continued successful partnerships, we’ve facilitated reuse or recovery of overstock and outdated electronic equipment, saving tons of potential landfill waste.

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So glad to see government agencies embracing eco-friendly ways.  We can make a difference by eliminating junk mail and sending e-mails but inevitably there are things that still need to go via post and if that’s the case the best way is via the most efficient transportation on the market!

Press Release – July 9, 2009

WASHINGTON — One of the greenest civilian fleets in the world just got a little greener.

The U.S. Postal Service will conduct a one-for-one replacement of 6,500 vehicles with 1,000 E-85 ethanol-capable and 900 gasoline/electric hybrid vehicles to its delivery fleet, part of a vehicle purchase by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). The balance of the GSA purchase for the Postal Service will be fuel-efficient, four-cylinder vehicles, which will replace aging vehicles at postal offices and facilities across the country, as the Postal Service continues to reduce the size of its fleet.

There was no cost to the Postal Service for the vehicles. GSA bore all purchase and distribution expenses.

At nearly 220,000, the Postal Service operates and maintains the largest civilian fleet in the country. The 1,900 vehicles from GSA will bring the total number of alternate fuel-capable vehicles in the Postal Service fleet to more than 43,000.

“With our fleet traveling more than 1.2 billion miles a year, the Postal Service consistently looks for ways to reduce the environmental footprint that results from visiting every home and business in America six days a week,” said Sam Pulcrano, vice president, Sustainability. “The GSA fleet upgrade program will help us continue these strategies.”

The Postal Service has increased alternative fuel use by 41 percent since 2006, and plans to reduce petroleum use by 20 percent over the next five years. Replacing aging vehicles with more fuel-efficient and alternative fuel-capable vehicles is key to reaching that goal.

“This is a unique opportunity for the Postal Service to continue work on our goals for improved fuel economy, greenhouse gas reductions, and on our position as an environmental leader,” said

Wayne Corey, manager, Vehicle Operations, who is overseeing the vehicle delivery.

Long a leader in sustainable practices, the Postal Service has been honored with more than 70 major environmental awards, including 40 White House Closing the Circle awards for environmental stewardship and the 2009 Climate Change Champion of the Year Award for efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Throughout its history, the U.S. Postal Service has championed every new mode of transportation in its ongoing effort to provide prompt, reliable mail delivery. From horse-drawn wagons to alternative fuel vehicles, the Postal Service has taken steps to reduce the environmental impact of its fleet, including:

• Delivering mail on a trial basis using three-wheel (T3) electric vehicles in Florida, California and Arizona. The T3 is powered by two rechargeable batteries, has zero gas emissions and costs 4 cents a mile to operate.
• Testing two fourth generation fuel-cell Chevrolet Equinox hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, which are delivering mail in Irvine, CA, and in Washington, DC.
• Using 35 delivery vehicles in Florida that run on propane fuel.
• Running 300 vehicles nationwide that are powered by biodiesel fuel.

And the Postal Service delivers mail the most energy efficient way possible: it’s walked. This “fleet of feet” delivers mail door-to-door and neighbor-to neighbor by walking almost 10,000 mail delivery routes a day.