USPS sets sustainability targets for 2030

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and waste across its enterprise.

Following on the installation of its first set of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at an Atlanta hub, which is part of a 106,000-vehicle acquisition plan for deliveries it launched in 2022 (included in a larger $40 billion investment strategy to upgrade and improve processing, transportation, and delivery networks), USPS is setting new sustainability targets to be achieved by 2030.

Sustainability goals are centered around three core areas: climate action, the circular economy and environmental awareness:

Climate action
The Postal Service is reducing greenhouse gas emissions across the organization by moving freight from air to ground transportation, optimizing delivery routes for trucks and carriers, and procuring reduced-emission and zero-emission vehicles. By fiscal year 2030, USPS seeks to:

• Reduce Scope 1 (direct) and Scope 2 (indirect) greenhouse gas emissions by 40%.
• Reduce Scope 3 (value chain) greenhouse gas emissions by 20%.

Circular economy
The Postal Service is focusing on strengthening the circular economy by diverting waste from landfills and through the sustainable acquisition of materials. Additionally, USPS will increase its procurement of on-site renewable energy and renewable energy certificates.
  
By fiscal year 2030, USPS seeks to:

• Divert 75% of waste from landfills.
• Increase recycled content of packaging to 74%.
• Increase package recyclability to 88%.
• Increase renewable energy use to 10%.

Environmental awareness
The organization plans to continue to educate its 640,000 employees, local communities and federal, state and local partners on its environmental progress.
  
Additionally, the Postal Service seeks to:

• Ensure environmental policy requirements are communicated and incorporated into operations.
• Provide on-site and online training and tools that align with policy and regulatory requirements to 100% of relevant USPS employees.

"The improvements we need to achieve in sustainability are an integral outgrowth of the broader modernization efforts we have undertaken through our 10-year Delivering for America plan," said Postmaster General and CEO Louis DeJoy. "As we transform our operating processes and invest in new automation, new technologies, and upgraded facilities and vehicles, we will generate significant efficiencies that reduce our costs, minimize waste across all functions of our operations and slash our carbon footprint."

The Postal Service's Delivering for America plan focuses the organization on specific initiatives to continue to reduce $5 billion in operating costs. Initiatives include cutting costs in areas such as regional and local network transportation, as well as processing, distribution, and delivery. While accomplishing these operational cost and sustainability initiatives, the Postal Service intends to grow its business by several billion dollars.