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Going Green: A Sustainable Revolution for American Businesses

Tutorial - 5 Min. Read

Sustainability has become increasingly important to consumers, prompting businesses to create greener supply chains. Learn how to elevate your sustainability initiatives and attract more customers.

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A white truck drives along a white, winding road through a green landscape.

As consumers become increasingly concerned about environmental issues, businesses across America have optimized every aspect of their operations. Many are focused on greener supply chains that keep pace with the mitigation of greenhouse gases (GHG) caused, in part, by shipping transportation. Here’s how your business can adopt greener practices.

Lowering Your Supply Chain’s Carbon Footprint

Consumers are increasingly seeking out businesses that share their environmental values and demonstrate environmental achievements.[1] USPS BlueEarth® Carbon Accounting makes it easy for businesses like yours to measure supply chain carbon emissions, while USPS BlueEarth® Secure Destruction helps eliminate the carbon impacts associated with return mail.[2] You can track your business’ carbon impacts and increase your competitive advantage with carbon accounting.

68% of Americans are willing to pay more for environmentally sustainable products.[3]
68%

Consumers Are Willing to Pay a Green Premium

Studies show that nearly half of consumers don’t think corporations are doing enough to create sustainable change.[4] A growing number of millennial and Gen Z consumers say they are willing to pay a premium for products that are environmentally sustainable.[5] This shift in consumer behavior has caused a ripple effect, making sustainability a critical competitive factor for companies across industries.

“The USPS focus on route optimization, delivering with one of the world’s largest electric vehicle fleets and modernizing our buildings will significantly reduce our carbon footprint.”[6]

—Jennifer Beiro-Réveillé, USPS Senior Director Environmental Affairs and Corporate Sustainability

Setting and Supporting Aggressive Goals

Recognizing the importance of sustainability, the Postal Service has set aggressive environmental improvement goals, which include reducing Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 40% and Scope 3 GHG emissions by 20% by 2030. [7] Currently, USPS is integrating several new key strategic sustainability initiatives into its operations that will help make it the greenest shipping service available to customers in the mailing industry.

How are greenhouse gas emissions reported?

Greenhouse gas emissions are typically reported as carbon dioxide equivalents with direct and indirect emissions inventoried. USPS BlueEarth Carbon Accounting specifically enables business mailers to track their Scope 3 emissions associated with their actual USPS mailings.[8]

Scope 1 Direct:

GHG emissions from owned sources, such as a vehicle fleet

Scope 2 Indirect:

GHG emissions from purchased sources, such as electricity

Scope 3 Indirect:

All other indirect GHG emissions, including mailing and shipping activity

Calculating Carbon Impact With USPS BlueEarth Carbon Accounting

The USPS BlueEarth® brand of sustainable mail services can help your business achieve its carbon reporting and reduction goals. The USPS BlueEarth Carbon Accounting service provides tools and resources to measure the carbon impact of all your USPS mailings. This means you can track your progress, enhance your supply chain carbon impact measurements, and manage your carbon footprint more effectively—in real time.

Reducing Waste, Costs and Risks With Secure Destruction

If you’d like to take your sustainability initiatives even further, USPS BlueEarth Secure Destruction offers a solution to challenges posed by Undeliverable-As-Addressed (UAA) letter- or flat-sized First-Class Mail® by eliminating the need for businesses to handle and manually destroy returned mail. Secure Destruction helps reduce carbon emissions, saves time and money, and enhances customer security by minimizing touchpoints where sensitive information could be exposed.

“
We have a lot of businesses that have been using this service. It’s a no-cost service, and it allows businesses to track and manage their scope three emissions.”[9]

—Jennifer Beiro-Réveillé, USPS Senior Director Environmental Affairs and Corporate Sustainability

Key Takeaway

Sustainability has become a defining characteristic of American businesses, driven by consumer demand, regulatory requirements and a growing recognition of the importance of environmental stewardship. As your business continues to prioritize sustainability in your operations, consider how Carbon Accounting and Secure Destruction can help make your supply chain greener.

Footnotes
  1. [1]“A Greener Link in America's Supply Chain,” The Eagle, Volume 3, Issue 2, Page 9, 2024.
  2. [2]“The Benefits of USPS BlueEarth® Secure Destruction,” USPS, 2024.
  3. [3]“Business of Sustainability Index,” 2023.
  4. [4]Ibid.
  5. [5]Ibid.
  6. [6]“USPS Delivers Inside Track on Sustainability” discussion, 2024.
  7. [7]Sustainability, USPS, 2024.
  8. [8]Carbon Accounting Service, USPS, 2022.
  9. [9]“USPS Delivers Inside Track on Sustainability” discussion, 2024.
How-ToShipping BasicsSubject Matter ExpertSustainability

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