Although the ongoing saga of the embattled U.S. Postal Service is well documented by our friend Mr. Tree (if that is his name), at the very least the USPS is reducing its environmental footprint, and saving money at the same time. Says Environmental Leader: The US Postal Service says it saved more than $52 million in 2012 by reducing energy, water, consumables, petroleum fuel use and solid waste to landfills, and generated nearly $24 million in revenue by recycling. The agency uses employee-based “green teams” to identify ways of reducing material consumption, boosting recycling, avoiding landfill fees, cutting vehicle emissions, and other “no-cost or low-cost” sustainability actions. The USPS seeks to meet these goals by 2015:

• Reduce facility energy use by 30 percent compared to 2003.
• Reduce water use by 10 percent compared to 2007.
• Reduce petroleum fuel use by 20 percent compared to 2005.
• Recycle 50 percent of all solid waste compared to 2009.

Admittedly, though, sustainability is the least of the USPS’s problems right now, but it’s good to know that such practices may not be completely alleviating the agency’s woes, but are at least helping a little bit.