United States National Risk Management

Environmental Protection Research Laboratory

Agency Cincinnati OH 45268

Research and Development EPA/600/SR-96/112 September 1996

Pollution Prevention Assessment

U.S. Postal Service

Stamp Distribution Network

Kansas City, MO

Project Summary

As part of its Waste Reduction Evaluation at Federal Sites Program, the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

National Risk Management Research

Laboratory worked cooperatively with

the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to integrate waste prevention and recycling

activities into the waste management

programs at various postal facilities

through the conduct of pollution prevention opportunity assessments

(PPOAs). The PPOA summarized here

was conducted at a USPS Stamp distribution Network facility in Kansas City,

MO.

The report makes recommendations

concerning the procurement of office

supplies, maintenance supplies, and

hazardous materials; management of

hazardous materials and wastes; purchase of chemicals on EPA’s 33/50 list;

improvement of source separation and

recycling of paper and paper products,

metals, and plastics; management of

unwanted equipment; and other options

for reducing or eliminating pollution.

This Project Summary was developed

by EPA’s National Risk Management

Research Laboratory, Cincinnati, OH,

to announce key findings of the research

project that is fully documented in a

separate report of the same title (see

Project Report ordering information at

back).

Introduction

Since 1988, EPA’s National Risk Management Research Laboratory (NRMRL)

has managed a technical support effort

known as the Waste Reduction Evaluations at Federal Sites (WREAFS) Program.

WREAFS was established to provide pollution prevention solutions to environmental issues through research, development,

and demonstration of pollution prevention

techniques and technologies, and transferring lessons learned within the federal

community and related private sector industries.

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS), in cooperation with NRMRL’s WREAFS Program is engaged in an effort to integrate

pollution prevention and recycling activities into the waste management programs

at postal facilities. The purpose of this

project was to perform pollution prevention opportunity assessments (PPOAs) at

Postal Service facilities, recommend implementation strategies, and develop facility

guidance that can be incorporated into a

revision of the USPS Waste Reduction

Guide. The project was funded by the

USPS through an interagency agreement

with EPA NRMRL.

In this report, the findings of the PPOA

conducted for the USPS Stamp Distribution Network located in Kansas City, MO

are described. The PPOA was conducted

during the week of March 6, 1995.

Facility Description

The Stamp Distribution Network (SDN)

is located in the Hunt Midwest Subtropolis

in North Kansas City. Subtropolis is the

world’s largest underground business complex, housing more than 60 local, national,

and international businesses in more than

10 million square feet of developed space

located 100 feet underground.

The USPS site contains two operations:

the SDN and the National Stamp Depository (NSD). The mission of the SDN is the

Carole O. Bell, Mary Hoel, Henry Huppert, and Steven Rolander
2

distribution of stamps and stamped products, such as postcards, food stamps and

money orders, to more than 4,000 post

offices in Iowa, Missouri, Kansas and Illinois.

The NSD consists of two underground

warehouses which are used primarily to

store stamps and other products. The NSD

supplies stamps to six Accountable Paper

Depositories (Memphis, Chicago, Denver,

New York, Washington, and San Francisco) which distribute them to Stamp Distribution Offices.

Waste Description

Exhibit 1 provides a summary of the

primary SDN waste streams, current management practices, and pollution prevention options.

Pollution Prevention

Opportunities

Exhibit 2 presents the pollution prevention opportunities that offer the USPS significant cost reductions in addition to

reducing pollution. The primary pollution

prevention opportunities identified by the

PPOA are addressed in the sections below.

Packaging Material

Due to the value of stamps, the USPS

has developed strict packaging and labeling requirements for shipping stamps. The

SDN purchases thousands of single use

corrugated boxes to ship stamps to post

offices. Once the shipments from the SDN

are received at their final destination, the

packages become waste. The USPS incurs additional costs for the labor to unpack and manage the boxes as well as

the costs associated with their ultimate

recycling or disposal. Recommendations

for reducing packaging wastes include

• Develop a policy that minimizes the

packaging of the product yet maintains security.

• Determine the cost/benefit of replacing single use corrugated boxes

in certain USPS shipping operations with distribution packaging that

can be reused hundreds of times.

• Establish a closed loop network for

stamp distribution packaging. The

stamps are distributed within a confined geographic area (Missouri,

Kansas, Iowa, and Illinois); therefore, the SDN should be able to

establish a closed loop system for

returning stamp packaging to the

SDN for reuse.

Mixed Paper

A significant portion of the mixed paper

is due to the stamp requisition system.

Recommendations for reducing mixedpaper wastes are

• Develop and implement an electronic ordering system on a larger

scale. An electric ordering system

would simplify the ordering process,

eliminate the need to key in information from the order forms, increase the efficiency of the SDN,

and reduce the amount of paper

waste generated at the facility.

Since many small post offices do

not have computers, the electronic

system could consist of a telephone

voice recognition system.

• Establish a recycling program for

paper and other recyclables. Recycling efforts could be coordinated

with other postal facilities in the

Subtropolis, complex-wide through

Hunt Midwest, or with the Kansas

City Processing and Distribution

Facility.

Stamps

The USPS is currently investigating a

process to shred obsolete or damaged

stamps (and packaging materials) and use

the resulting material for landscape mulch.

This process currently is being tested and

appears to be acceptable to the Postal

Inspection Service.

Pallets

• Return U.S. Government Printing

Office (GPO) pallets, including broken pallets, to source (pallets and

skids can be returned to the driver

at the time of delivery and GPO will

arrange to pick up loads of 300 or

more pallets that have been accumulated).

• Require use of USPS pallets on

stamp deliveries from private printers.

In future contracts for printing of

stamps, require the stamps be delivered on USPS pallets. This would

allow the reuse of the pallets and

reduce the quantity of pallets discarded.

• Investigate mulching of pallets with

stamps destined for destruction.

• Investigate the feasibility of sending pine pallets to the mulch manufacturer with stamps destined for

destruction.

Fluorescent Lighting

• Establish a recycling program.

• Ship expired bulbs to an approved

facility for recycling of glass, metals,

and mercury.

Lighting

Based on information provided by the

SDN staff, the USPS facility in Kansas

Exhibit 1. SDN Solid Waste Generation

Waste Current Management Opportunities

Obsolete, damaged or Disposed Reduce generation, send to CRF, send

defective equipment to computer recyclers

Corrugated cardboard Some reused, Reduce incoming boxes, reuse boxes,

most recycled improve diversion for recycling

Computer printout Discarded as waste Reduce generation, divert for recycling

White paper Discarded as waste Reduce generation, divert for recycling

Mixed paper Discarded as waste Reduce generation, divert for recycling

Magazines Discarded as waste Reduce generation, divert for recycling

Toner cartridges Returned for recycling Continue recycling

Pallets Some reused, many Reduce variety, reuse, establish

discarded as waste recycling options

Plastic stretch wrap Discarded as waste Reduce generation, divert for recycling

Strapping Discarded as waste Divert for recycling

Dunnage Discarded as waste Reuse, divert for recycling

Fluorescent tubes Discarded as waste Divert for recycling

Filters Discarded as waste Procure more efficient filtering system
3

Exhibit 2. Potential Cost-Saving Pollution Prevention Opportunities

Item(s) of Pollution Prevention Potential Estimated

Concern Current Practice Opportunity Savings/Revenues*

Packaging Cardboard is reused or Review stamp packaging Potential savings for avoided

Materials recycled; other requirements for stamp waste disposal costs and raw

packaging material is producers material purchases

disposed as solid waste

Establish closed loop network

for reusable packaging

Mixed Paper Disposed as solid waste Establish an electronic Eliminate costs associated

ordering system for stamps with paper disposal

Establish a recycling program Potential savings for avoided

for mixed paper waste disposal costs and

possible revenue from

recycling

Stamps Transported to Shred stamps and packaging Eliminate costs for

incinerator in Indiana materials for use as landscape transportation, incineration,

mulch and labor

* Dollar figure associated with potential savings is unknown at this time.

City pays more than $89,000 for electricity per year. This expense breaks down

as follows: SDN $72,096.94 and NSD

$17,054.90. Pollution prevention options

include

• Install motion sensitive lighting in

warehouses and other infrequently

used areas.

• Establish a policy of turning off lights

and equipment when leaving an

area.

• Reduce the number of emergency

lights and rewire the lighting in the

warehouses.

• Install energy efficient lighting.

• Become a Federal Partner in the

Green Lights Program.

Indoor Air Quality

The location of the USPS SDN and

NSD facilities in an underground, active

limestone and shale mine raises questions regarding the indoor air quality of

the space. Observation reveals that the

USPS has all the potential chemical release sources of typical office space (hydrocarbons from computers, printers, and

other electrical equipment; hydrocarbons

from carpet glues and upholstery, etc.) as

well as diesel exhaust from mining equipment, trucks, and other vehicles. The

USPS also utilizes fork lifts, which may

affect the air quality or present explosion

hazards, depending on the type of lift and

battery charging procedures. Given the

unusual office ventilation configuration (the

only entry point for outside air is one mile

away), the potential for poor air quality

exists, and options should be considered

for reducing such air pollution.

Conclusions and

Recommendations

The USPS has encouraged reduction

and recycling activities in its facilities. By

implementing many of the source reduction and recycling options identified in the

assessment, the SDN may be able to

reduce both the quantity and toxicity of

the wastes generated by this facility and

potentially save money in waste disposal

costs. Finding an alternative means of

managing obsolete or defective stamps

(e.g., composting) and identifying alternative means of packaging distributed stamps

are important steps in pollution prevention

at this facility. In addition, the facility should

focus on implementing a comprehensive

paper recycling program and address indoor air quality issues.

The full report was submitted in partial

fulfillment of Contract No. 68-C2-0148,

Work Assignment No. 3-10 by Science

Applications International Corporation under the sponsorship of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
4

United States

Environmental Protection Agency

Center for Environmental

Research Information (G-72)

Cincinnati, OH 45268

BULK RATE

POSTAGE & FEES PAID

EPA

PERMIT No. G-35

Official Business

Penalty for Private Use

$300

EPA/600/SR-96/112

Carole O. Bell, Mary Hoel, Henry Huppert, and Steven Rolander are with Science

Applications International Corporation, Newport RI 02840.

James S. Bridges and N. Theresa Hoagland are the EPA Project Officers (see

below).

The complete report, entitled “Pollution Prevention Assessment, U.S. Postal Service Stamp Distribution Network Kansas City, MO,” (Order No. PB97-100036;

Cost: $25.00, subject to change) will be available only from

National Technical Information Service

5285 Port Royal Road

Springfield, VA 22161

Telephone: 703-487-4650

The EPA Project Officers can be contacted at

National Risk Management Research Laboratory

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Cincinnati OH 45268