# Presentation: 136296

## Pilot Recycling Project

**New York City**
***Asif Ansari, PE, REM, CHMM ***
***Environmental Policy and Programs***
***United States Postal Service***

## Background
New York City (NYC) representatives contacted Direct Marketing Association (DMA) about impact of advertising mail on NYC waste disposal and costs.
USPS, DMA, and NYC agreed to partner on ways to help NYC achieve its new recycling goals:  
Exceed NYC legal mandates of a recycling diversion rate increase from 50% to 70%.
Introduce Discarded Lobby Mail Program at larger stations and branches.
Success of this project can provide basis of replicating at other locations throughout the United States (U.S.). 
Traffic and other unique issues – “If you can make it here,  you’ll make anywhere...”

- New York City (NYC) representatives contacted Direct Marketing Association (DMA) about impact of advertising mail on NYC waste disposal and costs.
- USPS, DMA, and NYC agreed to partner on ways to help NYC achieve its new recycling goals:
- Exceed NYC legal mandates of a recycling diversion rate increase from 50% to 70%.
- Introduce Discarded Lobby Mail Program at larger stations and branches.
- Success of this project can provide basis of replicating at other locations throughout the United States (U.S.).
- Traffic and other unique issues – “*If you can make it here,  you’ll make anywhere*...”

## Scope of Work

Obtain a baseline for recycling activities within the five boroughs of NYC.
Conduct site visits at the following NYC Mail Processing and Distribution Centers (P&DCs): 
--Bronx P&DC
--Brooklyn P&DC
--Morgan P&DC
--Queens P&DC
--Staten Island P&DC
Conduct site visits for larger branches and stations throughout NYC.

- Obtain a baseline for recycling activities within the five boroughs of NYC.
- Conduct site visits at the following NYC Mail Processing and Distribution Centers (P&DCs):
- --Bronx P&DC
- --Brooklyn P&DC
- --Morgan P&DC
- --Queens P&DC
- --Staten Island P&DC
- Conduct site visits for larger branches and stations throughout NYC.

## Facility Profiles

Bronx P&DC
174,000 SF; 480 employees; 25 city stations
Brooklyn P&DC
800,000 SF; 1,700 employees; 65 city stations
Morgan (Manhattan) P&DC 
Seven floors; 2,000,000 SF covering one city block; 4,000 employees; 82 city stations
Queens P&DC 
600,000 SF; 1,200 employees; 71 city stations
Staten Island P&DC
50,000 SF; 255 employees; 14 stations 

**Bronx P&DC**
- 174,000 SF; 480 employees; 25 city stations
**Brooklyn P&DC**
- 800,000 SF; 1,700 employees; 65 city stations
**Morgan (Manhattan) P&DC **
- Seven floors; 2,000,000 SF covering one city block; 4,000 employees; 82 city stations
_**Queens P&DC**_
- 600,000 SF; 1,200 employees; 71 city stations
_**Staten Island P&DC**_
- 50,000 SF; 255 employees; 14 stations

## Project Approach

Conducted site visits.
Conducted kickoff meetings, held interviews, and discussions with key personnel.
Reviewed facility recycling and trash data, documents, and practices, including contracts. 
Reviewed any local recycling requirements.
Established a “Recycling Baseline” for each borough.  
Developed internal and external communication plans. 
Presented findings to management.

- Conducted site visits.
- Conducted kickoff meetings, held interviews, and discussions with key personnel.
- Reviewed facility recycling and trash data, documents, and practices, including _contracts. _
- Reviewed any local recycling requirements.
- Established a “Recycling Baseline” for each borough.
- Developed internal and external communication plans.
- Presented findings to management.

## Summary of Findings

Best option is to centralize paper and implement “backhaul” to P&DCs. 
Enhance cardboard and shrink wrap recycling programs. 
Implement training and awareness programs. 
Review existing contract agreements. 
Separate accounting for trash and recycling revenue. – “No Offsets” 
Ensure recycling revenue and trash costs are credited to the correct finance codes.

- Best option is to centralize paper and implement “backhaul” to P&DCs.
- Enhance cardboard and shrink wrap recycling programs.
- Implement training and awareness programs.
- Review existing contract agreements.
- Separate accounting for trash and recycling revenue. – “No Offsets”
- Ensure recycling revenue and trash costs are credited to the correct finance codes.

## Recycling and Waste Hauling Contracts
Contracts for solid waste and recycling in NYC were being handled by two vendors.
No direct revenue was being received from either vendor for recycling. In some cases, the USPS was paying to have recyclables removed.  
Project team met with vendors to discuss new contracts. Recommended changes included:  
--New contract must reduce trash costs as recycling increases.
--New contract must get market price for all materials recycled.

- Contracts for solid waste and recycling in NYC were being handled by two vendors.
- No direct revenue was being received from either vendor for recycling. In some cases, the USPS was paying to have recyclables removed.
- Project team met with vendors to discuss new contracts. Recommended changes included:
- --New contract must reduce trash costs as recycling increases.
- --New contract must get market price for all materials recycled.

_**Communications**_** **
_**Internal: **_
- Area Update, Postal Link, Direct Line
- Employee Awareness – talks, banners, etc.
- Promotional items
_**External: **_
- External outreach and partnerships to increase awareness of recycling programs and take-back initiatives
- Work with NYC and commercial partners on take-back of pharmaceuticals, compact fluorescent bulbs, electronics
- Representation in NYC **Go Green Expo**

## Recycling Volumes at Sites Visited

|   | Nov 2007 | Apr 2008 | Nov 2007 | Apr 2008 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| P&DC | Recycled (Tons) | Recycled (Tons) | Revenue ($) | Revenue ($) |
| Bronx | 0 | 50 | $0  | $2,450  |
| Brooklyn | 16 | 125 | $553  | $7,000  |
| Manhattan | 20 | 256 | $638  | $13,000  |
| Queens | 110 | 160 | $3,035  | $8,000  |
| Staten Island | 0 | 15 | $0  | $1,800  |
|   | 146 | 606 | $4,226  | $32,250  |

_**Recycling Volumes at Sites Visited**_

## Outcomes Expected

Increased revenue – At full implementation - $1.6Million in revenue.
Reduced waste management costs – At full implementation – $600,000 in cost avoidance.  
Compliance with NYC legal mandates (diversion rate increase from 50% to 70%).
Solution for NYC residents – DLM Program.

- Increased revenue – At full implementation - $1.6Million in revenue.
- Reduced waste management costs – At full implementation – $600,000 in cost avoidance.
- Compliance with NYC legal mandates (diversion rate increase from 50% to 70%).
- Solution for NYC residents – DLM Program.

## Recoverable Materials - Percentage

- 90% of recoverable material in NYC operations is paper.
- Most is Undeliverable Standard Mail (USM).
- Cardboard (OCC) and shrink wrap are significant for revenue generation.

## Resource Conservation Opportunities

- 35,350 cubic yards of landfill (7.1 millions gallons volume, equivalent to 11 Olympic sized swimming pools)
- 171,700 30-foot (pulp) trees
- 70.7 million gallons of water (water for 660 U.S. homes for one year)
- 81,000 barrels (3.8 million gallons) of oil
- 41 million kilowatt hours of energy (energy for 3,884 U.S. homes for one year)

_**Resource Conservation Opportunities**_

## Conservation Opportunities (cont’d)

- 390,000 kilowatt hours of energy (energy for 36 U.S. homes for one year)
- 1,100 barrels (46,000 gallons) of oil
- 9,000 cubic yards of landfill space (1.8 million gallons volume, equivalent to 3 Olympic sized swimming pools)
- 25% less energy than virgin cardboard; 50% less sulfur dioxide emissions than virgin
- _562 tons of shrink wrap_ will save approximately:
- 1 million gallons of gasoline

_**Conservation Opportunities (cont’d)**_

## Every year we recycle about one million tons of wastepaper, cardboard, plastics, cans, and other stuff. 

*Every year we recycle about one million tons of wastepaper, cardboard, plastics, cans, and other stuff. *
*We purchase more than $200 million worth of products containing recycled content each year. *
*Many of the containers in our mail system are made from recycled materials, and so are the stamped envelopes, post cards, stamp booklet covers, and packaging materials we provide.*
*The adhesives used in our stamps are biodegradable.*

## The mail is an easy and efficient way to recycle items that if disposed of improperly could cause environmental harm.

*The mail is an easy and efficient way to recycle items that if disposed of improperly could cause environmental harm.*
*USPS is piloting a mail it back program where consumers can mail their used electronic items such as PDAs, cell phones and ink cartridges. *
*USPS is working with OSRAM SYLVANIA and Veolia to help consumers properly recycle used compact fluorescent lamps.*
*Hewlett Packard, Dell, and Sprint are giving their customers the ability to return PDAs, cartridges, etc. through the mail.*

## The Postal Service is the first mailing or shipping company to achieve Cradle to Cradle certification for our packaging. 

*The Postal Service is the first mailing or shipping company to achieve Cradle to Cradle certification for our packaging. *
*It’s recyclable, of course. But it's so much more than that. This is environmental "big picture" certification. It starts at the design stage, considers energy and water use through manufacturing, and ends with a product that can be safely recycled.*

## The Postal Service has a complex eco-system that includes mail processing, transportation, retail, delivery, buildings, equipment, supplies, services and almost 700,000 dedicated people who tie it all together.

“In today’s world, the concept and practice of sustainability have become more important than ever. It’s how we go about meeting today’s needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. Because of our size, the Postal Service’s activities have an enormous impact on the communities we serve. We want to use that impact to make a positive difference, particularly where the environment is concerned.”
		Jack Potter, CEO and PMG, April 16, 2008 

OFFICER ANNOUNCEMENT- April, 2008, - Vice President of Sustainability -  Responsible for unifying USPS sustainability efforts across every function and in every location as we pursue a single vision with a common focus

*“**In today’s world, the concept and practice of sustainability have become more important than ever. It’s how we go about meeting today’s needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. Because of our size, the Postal Service’s activities have an enormous impact on the communities we serve. We want to use that impact to make a positive difference, particularly where the environment is concerned.”*
- 		Jack Potter, CEO and PMG, April 16, 2008
- OFFICER ANNOUNCEMENT- April, 2008, - Vice President of Sustainability -  Responsible for unifying USPS sustainability efforts across every function and in every location as we pursue a single vision with a common focus

## Thank you for letting us share our success story in recycling and our overall commitment on sustainable development and environmental protection. 
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