Thought this would be useful for the eco-conscious in the US at least:
http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=61331
U.S. Postal Service Starts Service in 1,500 Post Offices
WASHINGTON, DC ?Free and green. Those are the goals of a pilot
program launched today by the U.S. Postal Service that allows customers
to recycle small electronics and inkjet cartridges by mailing them free
of charge.
The ?Mail Back? program helps consumers make more environmentally
friendly choices, making it easier for customers to discard used or
obsolete small electronics in an environmentally responsible way.
Customers use free envelopes found in 1,500 Post Offices to mail back
inkjet cartridges, PDAs, Blackberries, digital cameras, iPods and MP3 players ? without having to pay for postage.
Postage is paid for by Clover Technologies
Group, a nationally recognized company that recycles, remanufactures
and remarkets inkjet cartridges, laser cartridges and small
electronics. If the electronic item or cartridges cannot be refurbished
and resold, its component parts are reused to refurbish other items, or
the parts are broken down further and the materials are recycled.
Clover Technologies Group has a ?zero waste to landfill? policy: it
does everything it can to avoid contributing any materials to the
nation?s landfills.
It was this philosophy that won Clover the contract with the Postal
Service, besting 19 other companies, said Anita Bizzotto, chief marketing officer and executive vice president for the Postal Service.
?As one of the nation?s leading corporate citizens, the Postal
Service is committed to environmental stewardship,? Bizzotto said.
?This program is one more way the Postal Service is empowering
consumers to go green.?
The free, postage-paid Mail Back envelopes can be found on displays in Post Office lobbies. There is no limit to the number of envelopes customers may take.
The pilot is set for 10 areas across the country, including
Washington, D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles and San Diego, but could become
a national program this fall if the pilot program proves successful.
The Postal Service recycles 1 million tons of paper, plastic and
other materials annually. Last year, USPS generated more than $7.5
million in savings through recycling and waste prevention programs. The
nation?s environmental watchdog, the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) has awarded the Postal Service eight WasteWise Partner of the
Year awards, the agency?s top honor.
The Mail Back program is another example of the Postal Service?s
commitment to sustainability. USPS is the only shipping or mailing
company in the nation to receive Cradle to CradleSM Certification from
MBDC (McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry) for human and environmental
health. More than half a billion packages and envelopes provided by the
Postal Service annually are nearly 100 percent recyclable and are
produced with the least harmful materials. Based on the recycled
content of these envelopes and packages, more than 15,000 metric tons
of carbon equivalent emissions (climate change gases) now are prevented
annually.
?We know our customers are interested in real solutions for proper
disposal of personal electronics,? Bizzotto said. ?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.?
http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=61331
Free Recycling Through the Mail
WEBWIRE ? Monday, March 17, 2008
U.S. Postal Service Starts Service in 1,500 Post Offices
WASHINGTON, DC ?Free and green. Those are the goals of a pilot
program launched today by the U.S. Postal Service that allows customers
to recycle small electronics and inkjet cartridges by mailing them free
of charge.
The ?Mail Back? program helps consumers make more environmentally
friendly choices, making it easier for customers to discard used or
obsolete small electronics in an environmentally responsible way.
Customers use free envelopes found in 1,500 Post Offices to mail back
inkjet cartridges, PDAs, Blackberries, digital cameras, iPods and MP3 players ? without having to pay for postage.
Postage is paid for by Clover Technologies
Group, a nationally recognized company that recycles, remanufactures
and remarkets inkjet cartridges, laser cartridges and small
electronics. If the electronic item or cartridges cannot be refurbished
and resold, its component parts are reused to refurbish other items, or
the parts are broken down further and the materials are recycled.
Clover Technologies Group has a ?zero waste to landfill? policy: it
does everything it can to avoid contributing any materials to the
nation?s landfills.
It was this philosophy that won Clover the contract with the Postal
Service, besting 19 other companies, said Anita Bizzotto, chief marketing officer and executive vice president for the Postal Service.
?As one of the nation?s leading corporate citizens, the Postal
Service is committed to environmental stewardship,? Bizzotto said.
?This program is one more way the Postal Service is empowering
consumers to go green.?
The free, postage-paid Mail Back envelopes can be found on displays in Post Office lobbies. There is no limit to the number of envelopes customers may take.
The pilot is set for 10 areas across the country, including
Washington, D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles and San Diego, but could become
a national program this fall if the pilot program proves successful.
The Postal Service recycles 1 million tons of paper, plastic and
other materials annually. Last year, USPS generated more than $7.5
million in savings through recycling and waste prevention programs. The
nation?s environmental watchdog, the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) has awarded the Postal Service eight WasteWise Partner of the
Year awards, the agency?s top honor.
The Mail Back program is another example of the Postal Service?s
commitment to sustainability. USPS is the only shipping or mailing
company in the nation to receive Cradle to CradleSM Certification from
MBDC (McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry) for human and environmental
health. More than half a billion packages and envelopes provided by the
Postal Service annually are nearly 100 percent recyclable and are
produced with the least harmful materials. Based on the recycled
content of these envelopes and packages, more than 15,000 metric tons
of carbon equivalent emissions (climate change gases) now are prevented
annually.
?We know our customers are interested in real solutions for proper
disposal of personal electronics,? Bizzotto said. ?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.?
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