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WASHINGTON, DC — The United States Postal Service's 80 green teams accounted for $27 million in savings and revenue last year.
Created to help the USPS achieve energy and resource reduction goals, the Lean Green Teams focus on setting up low-cost or no-cost environmental practices.
Reductions in energy, water, waste and fuel use added up to $5 million, and an additional $9.1 million savings came from avoided landfill fees.
That $9.1 million came from sending more waste to be recycled instead of the trash, and the 222,000 tons of material (8,000 tons more than from 2009) that was recycled also netted the USPS $13 million in revenue.
The USPS is working to reduce facility energy by 30 percent, water by 10 percent, petroleum fuel by 20 percent and landfill waste by 50 percent, all by 2015. It's also aiming to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2020.
In mid-2010, the USPS was already two-thirds of the way to its facility energy goal thanks to the installation of green roofs and energy management systems that also saved $400 million from 2007-2010.
While there are only 80 Lean Green Teams now, the USPS plans to have teams in all USPS districts and network distribution centers next year.
USPS trucks - CC license by Number Six (bill lapp) (Flickr)
One question for USPS Lean
One question for USPS Lean Green Team members; why can't I take USPS Tyvek packaging materials that are clearly marked "cradle-to-cradle" certified to any Post Office in the U.S. for recycling? They may be reducing the amount they're sending to landfill, but they haven't really addressed my problem, which is how to keep their recyclable stuff out of my trash.
Why, then, can't the USPS
Why, then, can't the USPS make a system-wide effort to collect for recycling all the USPS packaging materials that carry the "cradle-to-cradle" logo. Try to take an Express Mail Tyvek envelope back to your local PO for recycling--they'll look at you like you're from Mars.