UPS and USPS team up to pioneer 'sustainability wave'

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UPS and US Postal Service team up to pioneer 'sustainability wave of the future'

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As their customers rush to get the last of their Christmas mail in the post, two of the world's largest postal and delivery companies have announced the launch of a unique joint initiative designed to slash carbon emissions and fuel costs across their operations.

The US Postal Service and UPS, which respectively lay claim to the titles of world's largest post service and world's largest delivery company, late last week unveiled a major new joint sustainability initiative dubbed "Blue and Brown Make Green".

In a joint video address, US Postal Service postmaster general and chief executive Patrick Donahoe and UPS chairman and chief executive Scott Davis hailed the alliance as a means for both companies to "reduce costs, serve customers better and achieve sustainability goals".

The organisations provided few details on precisely how the new alliance will work, but confirmed that they will seek to build on the existing partnership that sees the Postal Service and UPS compete for customers at the same time as making use of each other's services.

Currently, the Postal Service delivers many UPS packages over the "last mile", at the same time as providing drop-off points for UPS customers. Similarly, UPS' logistics network is used to carry millions of pounds of US Postal Service letters and packages.

Davis hinted that the partnership would not only be expanded, but could provide a template for how competitors in other sectors can collaborate to curb their costs and environmental impacts. "This collaboration to reduce the carbon footprint of our respective supply chains is the sustainability wave of the future," he said. "Our planes and trucks can minimise empty space; across our supply chains less fuel is burned and less carbon is emitted."

His comments were echoed by Donahoe, who urged other postal firms to investigate how they can work together to "better serve customers, the planet and the bottom line".