First vice president of sustainability announced at National Postal Forum

The U.S. Postal Service chose the state with the most progressive environmental record in the nation as the place to announce the creation of a corporate vice president of sustainability.

Postmaster General John Potter has named Sam Pulcrano, a 33-year Postal Service veteran, as the organization's first vice president of sustainability, responsible for coordinating energy and environmental programs across all departments of the Postal Service. One of Pulcrano's first goals will be to complete an inventory of greenhouse gas emissions and create an action plan to reduce emissions.

"We continuously strive for sustainability, discovering better ways to deliver long-term value to our customers, employees and to the communities we serve," Potter said. "This new position simply puts a more formal structure in place at an organization that has been environmentally smart and friendly for more than 200 years."

Pulcrano currently serves as director of safety and environmental performance management, overseeing a staff of about 600 responsible for all environmental policies and programs, as well as safety compliance and procedures at more than 38,000 facilities across the country.

Under his direction, the Postal Service has become an industry leader in employee safety. Employee work-related accidents were reduced by 50 percent and the number of Voluntary Protection Program sites, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) highest safety recognition, increased to 150 in less than six years. No federal agency has a better record. The Postal Service also is a leader in the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) "Performance Track" program, earning 31 applications for environmental programs and stewardship.

Pulcrano's previous Postal Service positions include safety manager, manager of labor relations, area manager for human resources and manager of contract administration for the American Postal Workers Union and National Postal Mail Handlers Union. Pulcrano, 56, holds a bachelor of science degree in finance and management from the State University of New Paltz, New York. A native of Wichita, KS, he is married with two children and makes his home in Arlington, VA.

Earlier this month, the Postal Service launched an easy, online resource for consumers to make environmentally friendly decisions about their mail. From eco-friendly products and services to recycling ideas and ways to help marketers create greener advertising, usps.com/green contains hundreds of facts, suggestions and programs to help improve environmental awareness and make it easier for consumers to go green - including a way to calculate carbon footprint savings by conducting Postal Service business online.

As one of the nation's leading corporate citizens, the U.S. Postal Service is committed to environmental stewardship. USPS empowers consumers to "go green" through a comprehensive approach to mail production, delivery and recycling that enhances sustainability, meeting the needs of the present without compromising the future:

• The Postal Service is the only shipping company in the country to achieve Cradle to Cradle certification for the environmental qualities of its Express Mail and Priority Mail boxes and envelopes. Changes made in the production of Express and Priority mail eliminates 15,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases annually.
• USPS recycles more than 1 million tons of paper, plastic and other materials annually.

The "Mail Back" pilot program provides postage-paid envelopes to recycle small electronics including PDAs, cell phones and inkjet cartridges. More than 1,600 Post Offices are participating in the pilot.

• USPS is working with OSRAM SYLVANIA and Veolia Environmental Services to help consumers properly recycle compact fluorescent lamps.
• Water-based inks are used to print stamps.
• Bio-based oil and alternative fuels such as compressed natural gas, hydrogen or ethanol gas, and re-treaded tires are used on Postal Service vehicles.
• Postal buildings are being upgraded to reduce energy use with the goal of reducing energy consumption by 30 percent by 2015.
• The Postal Service has received 39 White House Closing the Circle Awards for outstanding environmental stewardship and eight EPA WasteWise Partner of the Year awards, the agency's top honor.

And, the Postal Service delivers the mail in the most energy efficient way possible. A third of all deliveries are made on foot.