At United Mail, we go through a lot of paper and cardboard. It’s the nature of our industry. Because we go through so much, we have an ethical obligation to make sure we responsibly deal with our trash. As a company dedicated to sustainability and ecological conservation, we at United Mail give back to the Earth by recycling our discarded materials.

Keeping Materials Out of Landfills

I was curious about how exactly we do what we can to stay green. This past Tuesday, I met with Gary Steward, our Production Supervisor. He informed me that we actually have two separate divisions within the company that recycles: one that recycles materials directly related to mailing and another that exclusively involves computer parts. He oversees the former division. In addition to recycling paper and cardboard, we also go through a lot of plastic, wood skids (or pallets), and different kinds of metals. Because we recycle so much, we have to be careful about how we compile our materials to be recycled. For this reason, we have a dedicated baler on our staff who compartmentalizes our materials to be sent out to the appropriate recycling facility. Impressively, when we recycle, we fill an entire 53-foot semi-truck trailer from front to back. In 2017 alone, we filled 15 of these trailers, recycling 9.9 tons each time for a staggering total of 148.5 tons.

Separately, United Mail strives to responsibly repurpose its e-waste. Weighing approximately 500 lbs. annually, we recycle various discarded computer parts like monitors, mice, keyboards, stands, switches, and drives (after they’ve been securely stripped of their information, of course).

Reinvesting in Our Employees

The money we make from recycling gets immediately invested in our employees. With the money we receive through our recycling initiative, we fund employee appreciation opportunities. One of these opportunities is our annual Christmas party, where we take time from our busy schedules to celebrate our hard-working, praiseworthy employees.

Environmentally Friendly

We are a forward-thinking, environmentally-conscious company with a deep investment in recycling. This investment manifests in our recycling bins, which can be found at every work station in both our warehouses and offices. While we save you money in your direct mail campaigns through our various mail and printing services, we strive to make sure we leave as little an ecological footprint as we possibly can.

By Michael Phillips