USPS Green Initiatives (Cradle To Cradle Certification)

I don't know how many on SCF may have been keeping up with this recent USPS news release:

http://www.usps.com/communications/...pr10_091.htm

While I don't fault the good that can be derived from green initiatives, if, as the statement suggests, they include postage stamps and postal stationery items, would that affect the longevity of collectable stamps that are now meeting this standard ... in other words, can we look forward to them deteriorating over time in ones stamp collection?

Very hard to tell from that one release (which is all I have read of the idea). Most of that is political babble saying nothing but 'we are doing a great job, look at us doing a great job, wow'.

Didn't mean to be overly sarcastic but with no relevant data or proofs of how they saved money and energy (what was reduced or sacrificed to achieve that?) it is hard to judge the main idea except on what results you can see.

I don't really like the idea of decomposing stamps or materials. What happens to keepsakes, nostalgic souvenirs, love letters, legal and financial documents, etc.? Gone? What does cradle to cradle mean? You are born, you die, and that's it, no need for anything to do with you anymore? Uck. No legacy in that.

That's the bad side I suppose. In that release the USPS did not address, and seemed to me to avoid, looking at any issues like those.

The idea that a single person can make a difference is a good one and a great one even. Lots of little guys can make a difference hopefully. But there is also the 80 / 20 rule that says 80% of the thing you are looking at is usually caused by 20% of the people involved. And those 20% usually have as some priority the job of looking after themselves. Who is watching the watchers?

You make some good points.

I just know the USPS has a history of not being very mindful of stamp collecting as a hobby in their past initiatives. Look at the non-soakable stamp problems we encounter with some of the current self-adhesives, or for that matter the 1974 Christmas Precancel which looks like an ugly blob in most collections (if it still has the original adhesive backing).

I would like to see them strive to reach the Gold Level. However to do that they have to have a "Plan for product recovery and closing the loop."

Though they could really make a statement and get to the PLATINUM level, "Actively recovering products and closing the loop."

So they would have to mandate every postage stamp be returned so they can recycle them all. After all the environment is a heck of a lot more important that stamp collectors. I don't know maybe they could put a large tax on the stamp to insure it is returned.

it's all political b.s. it costs them more to make the "green" stuff then not, according to a couple of local post masters.