Gary McClellan takes recycling seriously.
McClellan, a custodian at the Baltimore Processing and Distribution Center, recognizes recycling as a way to both protect the environment and reduce costs.
He helps his facility recycle a range of materials, including cardboard and plastics, as well as paper products like undeliverable marketing mail, a special area of focus.
“This is mail, not trash,” McClellan says.
Undeliverable marketing mail includes third-class fliers, newsletters, circular advertisements and catalogs that cannot be delivered for a variety of reasons, most commonly because the resident has moved.
Through agreements with business customers, the Postal Service doesn’t return this mail but recycles it. This helps the organization cut its disposal costs and reduce the amount of waste it sends to landfills.
The USPS National Recycling Operation Blue page has additional information on the importance of recycling, including tips and guidelines for managers, supervisors and employees.
Says McClellan: “Our customers are trusting that we properly handle undeliverable marketing mail in an environmentally responsible way.”
“Best practices,” a series on employees who demonstrate on-the-job excellence, appears regularly in Link.