US Postal Service Grants ecoEnvelopes First Ever Approval for Reusable Envelopes

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ecoEnvelopes (www.ecoEnvelopes.com), the developers of innovative reusable envelopes designed to conserve natural resources and reduce costs, have received a key National Customer Ruling from the US Postal Service (USPS). It is the first time USPS has issued such a certification for a line of reusable envelopes and solidifies ecoEnvelopes’ position as a leader in a bold new effort to green the US mail.

“It’s important for us to practice what we preach”

The USPS National Customer Ruling is issued after an official testing and approval process. The ruling provides customers with increased confidence that ecoEnvelopes’ unique designs meet the most stringent qualifications for use in the US mail. In 2007, USPS worked closely with ecoEnvelopes in changing the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), paving the way for breakthrough mail solutions of this kind.

By eliminating the need for reply envelopes, ecoEnvelopes helps businesses and organizations meet their social, environmental and marketing objectives. “Using one envelope is simply more efficient and less wasteful than two, and you send the right message with a reusable envelope,” said founder and CEO Ann DeLaVergne, a former organic farmer and beekeeper who created the first ecoEnvelopes by hand in her kitchen as a way to reduce waste. More than 80 billion reply envelopes are sent through the US mail each year.

Eliminating return envelopes saves energy, water, and forest resources and reduces the carbon emissions that contribute to climate change. Every one million ecoEnvelopes used saves an estimated 250 million BTUs of energy and 37,000 pounds of greenhouse gasses. All ecoEnvelopes are manufactured on certified papers from managed forests using up to 100% recycled content.

“Beyond the environmental benefits, the value proposition is simple,” says DeLaVergne. Bulk mailers such as utilities, credit card companies, and direct marketers can reduce manufacturing, printing, shipping and insertion costs by using one envelope instead of two. ecoEnvelopes are designed for use with existing high-speed insertion and postal processing equipment.

Customers can realize mail savings between 15% to 45% and increased response rates for direct mail of up to 8%. “It’s important for us to practice what we preach,” stated Ruth Patton, Director of Communications for Fresh Energy, a leading advocate of new, innovative energy solutions. “Using ecoEnvelopes for our mailings helps us maintain our integrity. Our members love that we’re producing less waste and using fewer resources. Response rate is at an all-time high,” she continued.

“The Postal Service understands our vision and we are grateful for their support,” said DeLaVergne. “It’s simply an idea whose time has come. With ecoEnvelopes, we are proving that being more efficient, even with something as small as an envelope, can have a measurable impact on the environment,” she concluded.

About ecoEnvelopes

ecoEnvelopes LLC. (www.ecoEnvelopes.com) designs and licenses proprietary reusable envelopes that reduce mail costs and benefit the environment. ecoEnvelopes’ patent-pending mail solutions are manufactured exclusively on certified paper from managed forests with up to 100% post consumer recycled content and operate on existing high-speed insertion and postal processing equipment. The company's innovative products meet the growing desire of corporations, organizations and consumers to be more responsible and contribute to environmental stewardship.