NEW YORK—ecoEnvelopes, the developer of innovative reusable envelopes designed to conserve natural resources and reduce costs, has received a key National Customer Ruling from the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). It is the first time USPS has issued such a certification for a line of reusable envelopes and solidifies ecoEnvelopes’ position as a leader in a bold new effort to green the U.S. mail.
The USPS National Customer Ruling is issued after an official testing and approval process. The ruling provides customers with increased confidence that ecoEnvelopes’ unique designs meet the most stringent qualifications for use in the U.S. mail. In 2007, USPS worked closely with ecoEnvelopes in changing the Domestic Mail Manual, paving the way for breakthrough mail solutions of this kind. By eliminating the need for reply envelopes, ecoEnvelopes helps businesses and organizations meet their social, environmental and marketing objectives.
“Using one envelope is simply more efficient and less wasteful than two, and you send the right message with a reusable envelope,” said founder and CEO Ann DeLaVergne, a former organic farmer and beekeeper who created the first ecoEnvelopes by hand in her kitchen as a way to reduce waste. More than 80 billion reply envelopes are sent through the U.S. mail each year.
Envelopes Included Recycled Content
Eliminating return envelopes saves energy, water, and forest resources and reduces the carbon emissions that contribute to climate change. Every 1 million ecoEnvelopes used saves an estimated 250 million BTUs of energy and 37,000 pounds of greenhouse gasses. All ecoEnvelopes are manufactured on certified papers from managed forests and use up to 100 percent recycled content.
“Beyond the environmental benefits, the value proposition is simple,” DeLaVergne says.
Bulk mailers such as direct marketers can reduce manufacturing, printing, shipping and insertion costs by using one envelope instead of two. ecoEnvelopes are designed for use with existing high-speed insertion and postal processing equipment. Customers can realize mail savings between 15 to 45 percent and increased response rates for direct mail of up to 8 percent.
“It’s important for us to practice what we preach,” stated Ruth Patton, director of communications for Fresh Energy, a leading advocate of new, innovative energy solutions. “Using ecoEnvelopes for our mailings helps us maintain our integrity. Our members love that we’re producing less waste and using fewer resources. Response rate is at an all-time high.”
Go to ecoEnvelopes.
