The US Postal Service has won two prestigious environmental awards – one for a revenue-generatingrecycling programme and another for new ethanol-fuelled vehicles it has put on the road in
Minnesota.The White House Closing the Circle awards recognise US federal agencies for outstandingachievements that result in significant contributions to the environment.
The first award is for a solid waste management programme USPS launched last year and whichhas recycled 8.6 million pounds of undeliverable mail, plastic film and cardboard, generating atthe same time over $200,000 in revenue.
Then, the postal service’s E-85 alternative-fuel usage project, which put 584 ethanol-capablevehicles on the road, has been recognised, too. The new fleet resulted in a 65% increase in ethanolfuel use from 2003 to 2006.
“The outstanding results we’ve had with these initiatives not only demonstrate the positiveimpact that organisations can make on the environment, but also how being an environmental leaderis good for the bottom line,” said Michael Fanning, manager of USPS’ environmental policy andprogrammes. “These programmes are just two of the many things we do every day to meet theseobjectives.”
The total waste management programme relies on the vast Postal Service transportation networkto recover recyclables from USPS rubbish, which it then sells.
The postal service has more than 37,000 alternative fuel vehicles in its fleet and iscurrently also evaluating bio-diesel and electric vans as well as others that run on compressednatural gas or ethanol.
