US Postal Service approves first reusable envelope

Used for internal office mail for years, the reusable envelope is now set to make its debut nationwide in the US, after ecoEnvelopes announced this week that its reusable envelope has received official approval from the US Postal Service (UPS).

With UPS handling more than 80bn envelopes sent in reply to initial mailings each year, reusable envelopes could save energy, water and forest resources as well as cut carbon emissions, according to Ann DeLaVergne, founder and chief executive of ecoEnvelopes.

The company calculates that every one million ecoEnvelopes used would save 250 million BTUs of energy and 37,000 pounds of greenhouse gasses.

DeLaVergne claimed there were also significant cost benefits for firms, adding that bulk mailers such as utilities, credit card companies and direct marketers could realise cost savings of between 15 and 45 per cent and increase response rates from customers by up to eight per cent.

The envelopes themselves are opened using a perforated strip. Once a response is inserted a flap above the opening is simply moistened and closed, allowing the same envelope to be used on the return journey.

The company claims all the ecoEnvelopes are made from certified paper from managed forests or constitute up to 100 per cent recycled paper content.

Businesses already using ecoEnvelopes include the Land Stewardship Foundation, Fresh Energy, Co-Op America and Renewable Choice Energy.

Ruth Patton, director of communications at Fresh Energy, said that the reusable envelope also helped underline firms' green credentials to customers. "Using EcoEnvelopes for our mailings helps us maintain our integrity," she said, adding that the approach had also pushed response rates to "an all-time high".