We’ve all heard the mantra “recycle, reuse, and reduce,” but did you know that people focus not only on what products they should buy, but also on how their purchases are packaged, shipped, and delivered?
A recent OIG white paper, Sustainability and the Postal Service: Creating a Greener Future Through Product Innovation, surveyed 2,800 Americans and found that the majority are concerned about the environmental impact of their deliveries. And 41 percent say that environmental practices play a “very important” role in their choice of a delivery company.
For the U.S. Postal Service, meeting these expectations presents both challenges and opportunities. The Postal Service is already often delivering letters and packages together, but it could do more to highlight to the public its environmental friendliness. And how about a “green” semi-postal stamp that would raise money for environmental concerns?
Perhaps USPS could adopt some of the environmentally friendly options by other posts and delivery companies. This includes reusable packaging solutions — an empty package is reconditioned and reused through many shipping cycles. And let’s not forget carbon compensation, which offsets greenhouse gas emissions of a delivery by funding environmental restoration projects.
What role do environmental impacts play in your choice of a delivery company? What types of environmentally friendly shipping options do you expect the Postal Service to offer?
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