Sending and Saving Green

According to the United States Postal Service (USPS), 19 billion cards, letters and packages will be delivered this holiday season. That’s three pieces for every person on the planet.

There’s a good chance that at least some of that mail is either coming from or headed to your house. In light of the shipping craze that hits the country each year around this time, now is the perfect opportunity to consider how you can “green” your shipping practices.

The USPS makes this process easier by offering a number of products and services that are both easy to use and good for the environment. Follow these simple steps when shipping, so you can be sure that both you and your packages go green:

Boxes and Envelopes

The USPS now offers Cradle to Cradle-certified (C2C) boxes and envelopes for Priority and Express shipping. You can even order them online free of charge. If you continually get caught trying to beat the holiday rush, you’ll be well prepared – and a good steward.

Reuse

If you don’t use C2C packaging, consider reusing older boxes. As long as they are free of markings and well-sealed, almost any box can be used as a shipping container. Also, all USPS packaging (including the Ready-Post brand sold online and at post offices) qualifies as mixed-paper and can be recycled according to local guidelines.

Fillers

The USPS does not generally provide fillers, such as packing peanuts or bubble wrap, although some of their envelopes are padded. Due to the environmental problems of polystyrene, many brands are now moving to cornstarch-based peanuts. Companies have also begun to tap into the paper recycling industry to create packaging from recycled paper.

Reduce

When it comes to shipping, where costs are directly related to the weight of your items, it is in your interest to reduce. Ship your items in the smallest possible containers, and do not over-pack the filling. Use only enough to secure the item you are sending. You can reuse difficult-to-recycle Styrofoam peanuts many times, so set them aside whenever you receive them in a package. You can also shred discarded mail or circulars as filler instead of foam peanuts.

Outside the Box

There isn’t too much to sealing and labeling your materials properly. To avoid confusion, be sure that there is no writing on the outside of boxes, or as little as possible. In order to increase the ease of recycling, the USPS now allows you to print shipping labels at home (on recyclable paper), and their stamps are made with inks and adhesives that are biodegradable and will not interfere with the recycling of envelopes and boxes.

Recycle

If you have wisely decided to reuse your boxes, be sure that you cover old addresses with the new destination, and remove any old bar codes that the post office may have affixed. Believe it or not, you can even find recyclable packaging tape to seal your boxes.

With a little creativity and resourcefulness, it is possible to save money and resources this holiday season. With its many new initiatives and focus on recycling policies, the USPS makes it easier for you to do just that.