Free E-cycling Meets the Mail
During the holiday season, you’re probably going to send a great deal of mail, cards, gifts and other packages through the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). In fact, the USPS will handle over 19 billion cards, letters and packages between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Beyond their ability to deliver a card to your favorite aunt or gifts to charitable organizations around the globe, the USPS can deliver another kind of gift: responsible e-cycling for used or obsolete small electronics. The goals of the program: to be free and green.
Program Overview
Through one of the many mail-back programs in which the USPS is involved, you can pickup free envelopes in participating Post Offices to send small electronics for recycling, such as:
- Blackberries
- Digital Cameras
- Inkjet Cartridges
- iPods
- MP3 Players
- PDAs
“We know our customers are interested in real solutions for proper disposal of personal electronics,” Sam Pulcrano, Vice President of Sustainability for USPS. “Everyone from consumers to businesses to non-profit organizations use the mail, and the Postal Service works to manage resources wisely to minimize environmental impact.”
Free and Green
The best part of this program is that not only are the envelopes free to consumers, but the postage is paid as well. Covered by Clover Technologies Group, a nationally recognized company that recycles, remanufactures and remarkets inkjet cartridges, laser cartridges and small electronics, e-cycling is made easy and affordable, especially during the holidays when you might be watching your dollars.
“This program is one more way the Postal Service is empowering consumers to go green,” said Pulcrano.
Zero-Landfill
If the items sent for recycling cannot be refurbished and resold, the component parts are reused to refurbish other items. If they are not used for these purposes, they are broken down further and recycled. Clover Technologies supports a “zero waste to landfill” policy, making every effort to avoid landfilling e-waste.
There is no limit to how many items a customer may mail back at any given time, so recycle away. Launched at the beginning of 2008 as a pilot program in 10 major cities across the nation, the envelopes are currently available at select Post Offices in California, Illinois, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC. You can also search “electronics” with Earth911.com to see if there’s a location near you.
This mail-back program is just one of many initiatives hosted by the USPS that can help make your holidays green. Don’t forget that even though you’re celebrating with your closest friends and family, the earth could use some holiday cheer as well.
Free Ecycling | TurningHoustonGreen
posted on December 16th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
[...] Find out about it here: [...]
Jennifer Berry
posted on December 18th, 2008 at 11:51 am
Hi Terri,
Unfortunately, we do not host electronics recycling here in our office. I encourage you to visit the USPS’ website for envelopes, as they will be able to send you as many as you need. Also, you can use our search bar above to search for electronics recycling in your area.
Thanks!
Jenn
Ann
posted on December 18th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Not all Post Offices have the free envelopes. As I understand it, only select areas (not very many) were chosen as trial sites. I could not find them on the USPS Website either. Their site said 10 locations were selected in the trial.
Rhonda Seery
posted on December 18th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
How do I order the envelopes?
Dawn M Graham
posted on December 19th, 2008 at 8:58 am
I would like to know where the envelopes can be obtained for Connecticut
victoria
posted on December 30th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
I would love to have lot of mail-back envelopes so i can recycle at least half of my room everything is so scattered i need to get rid of some of my old eletronics.
cynthia
posted on February 3rd, 2009 at 10:41 pm
well u see now that the economy is bad where is the one place where i can send my phones and still be able to be recycled but also get a money reward as well. because my friend mailed it and got like 20.00 on som electronics she sent. so can someone help me if you know something or want to assist me in this please dont hesitate to email me @ cynthia323@sbcglobal.net and please respond 2 my message.
thank you for your attention.