US POSTAL SRVC WANTS YOUR EMPTY CTGS

[Anonymous]

Postal
Service eyes e-waste recycling, seeks industry partner Old cell phones
and printer cartridges could be dropped off at post offices
(SORRY FOR THE LATE NOTICE)
march, 2006   – The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is considering a partnership with one or more
companies to create a nationwide e-waste recycling program.
In
a request for proposals, the USPS said the program would allow
consumers and small businesses to safely and conveniently dispose of
obsolete equipment, which would initially include ink-jet and laser
toner cartridges and cell phones. Other items such as computer
hardware, peripheral devices and household electronics could be added
later or collected periodically, the agency said in its request
(download document). The main purpose of the initiative is to generate
revenue for the USPS.
The Postal Service said it would offer the
service through its approximately 38,000 retail locations, 300,000
collection boxes and 290,000 letter carriers. Post office lobbies could
be used to promote the program, as collection points for e-waste or for
distribution of packaging and labels used for return shipments, the
USPS said.
Since 1999, a select number of the agency’s retail
locations have participated in a trial program to recycle used ink-jet
printer cartridges. Under that program, a user can purchase prepaid,
preaddressed shipping envelopes at a participating post office, enclose
the cartridge in the envelope and send it to a recycling facility. The
envelope and the cost of the return shipment are paid for by the
recycling partner, the USPS said. The plan is to replace the trial
effort with a permanent e-recycling program.
The USPS said it’s
primarily looking for a partner that would agree to be charged for
shipments initiated by a customer using the Postal Service’s returns
service. The partner would also take possession of the returned goods
or contract with another company to do so.
The Postal Service said
it would also look at other business models, including charging
customers returning the goods for postage and/or other fees. However,
the agency said this model might slow adoption of the program.
Companies have until March 10 to respond to the USPS’s request for proposals.

[Author]

March 9, 2006 at 12:40 PM