United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
National Risk Management
Research Laboratory
Cincinnati OH 45268
Research and Development
EPA/600/SR-96/111 September 1996
v>EPA Project Summary
Pollution Prevention Assessment
U.S. Postal Service
Bulk Mail Center, Dallas, TX
Carole O. Bell, Mary Hoel, and Henry Huppert
As part of its Waste Reduction Evalu-
ation at Federal Sites Program, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
National Risk Management Research
Laboratory worked cooperatively with
the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to inte-
grate waste prevention and recycling
activities into the waste management
programs at various postal facilities
through the conduct of pollution pre-
vention opportunity assessments
(PPOA). The PPOA summarized here
was conducted at the USPS Bulk Mail
Center (BMC) located in Dallas, TX.
The report describes the mission of
the BMC including operations per-
formed, processes and materials em-
ployed, and the wastes and emissions
generated. The report makes recom-
mendations concerning the procure-
ment of office supplies, maintenance
supplies, and hazardous materials;
management of hazardous materials
and wastes; purchase of chemicals on
EPA's 33/50 list; improvement of source
separation and recycling of paper and
paper products, metals, and plastics;
management of unwanted equipment;
and other options for reducing or elimi-
nating pollution.
This Project Summary was developed
by EPA's National Risk Management
Research Laboratory, Cincinnati, OH,
to announce key findings of the research
project that is fully documented in a
separate report of the same title (see
Project Report ordering information at
back).
Introduction
Since 1988, EPA's National Risk Man-
agement Research Laboratory (NRMRL)
has managed a technical support effort
known as the Waste Reduction Evalua-
tions at Federal Sites (WREAFS) Program.
WREAFS was established to provide pol-
lution prevention solutions to environmen-
tal issues through research, development,
and demonstration of pollution prevention
techniques and technologies, and trans-
ferring lessons learned within the federal
community and related private sector in-
dustries.
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS), in co-
operation with NRMRL's WREAFS pro-
gram, is engaged in an effort to integrate
pollution prevention and recycling activi-
ties into the waste management programs
at postal facilities. The purpose of this
project was to perform pollution preven-
tion opportunity assessments (PPOAs) at
Postal Service facilities, recommend imple-
mentation strategies, and develop facility
guidance that can be incorporated into a
revision of the USPS Waste Reduction
Guide. The project was funded by the
U.S. Postal Service through an interagency
agreement with EPA NRMRL.
This report describes the findings of the
PPOA conducted for the U.S. Postal Ser-
vice Bulk Mail Center (BMC) located in
Dallas, TX. The site assessment was con-
ducted during the week of May 15, 1995.
Facility Description
The BMC facility in Dallas, TX, per-
forms the sorting and routing of packages
and bulk business mail for Texas, Okla-
homa, and parts of Kansas, Arkansas,
and Louisiana as part of a national net-
work of mechanized bulk mail centers that
process third and fourth class mail. The
facility employs approximately 1,600 indi-
viduals and operates three eight-hour shifts
per day, six days per week and two shifts
on Sunday. An additional 300 workers are
hired during the Christmas holiday sea-
son.
The BMC facility occupies 75 acres; the
main building contains approximately
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452,000 square feet of space. In addition,
the facility houses a 2,000 sq. ft. lubrica-
tion storage area; a 2,048 sq. ft. former
vehicle repair shop that is now used to
repair "over-the-road" (OTR) aluminum
mail-transport equipment and as a fuel
and oil dispensing area for postal vehicles;
and a 1,000 sq. ft. shed that houses
groundskeeping equipment and miscella-
neous machinery. The BMC also has two
remote sites: a USPS-owned warehouse,
which is shared with the Dallas General
Mail Facility and a leased facility of 59,000
sq. ft. that houses the Crossdock Pallet
Facility.
Waste Management
Wastes generated by BMC operations
include excess and obsolete equipment
and supplies; corrugated cardboard; com-
puter paper; white paper; mixed office pa-
per, including forms and envelopes;
magazines and newsprint; undeliverable
bulk business mail (UBBM) and "loose-in-
mail" pieces (LIMs); employee wastes, in-
cluding cans, bottles, wrappers, and food;
pallets; shrink and stretch wrap; alumi-
num and other metals; wood; fluorescent
tubes and lighting ballasts; batteries; plas-
tic and metal strapping; rags; and oil fil-
ters and waste oil. Additionally, the BMC
facility generates small quantities of haz-
ardous wastes from aerosol cans, prima-
rily paints and oils. In 1994, one 55-gallon
drum of F003 and F005 waste was gener-
ated. Exhibit 1 presents the composition
of the solid waste stream, the current man-
agement practice for each component, and
a summary of pollution prevention oppor-
tunities. Exhibit 2 summarizes the current
costs of waste collection.
Pollution Prevention
Opportunities
Exhibit 3 presents the pollution preven-
tion opportunities that offer the USPS sig-
nificant cost reductions in addition to
reducing pollution. The primary pollution
prevention opportunities identified by the
PPOA are addressed in the sections be-
low.
Environmental Oversight
Appoint an Environmental Coordi-
nator to monitor environmental is-
sues and implement opportunities
to reduce waste and prevent pollu-
tion at the facility.
Reuse and Recycling
The BMC presently receives approxi-
mately $100,000 in annual revenue from
its old corrugated cardboard (OCC) recy-
cling program (recycled gaylord boxes),
approximately $9,600 in annual revenue
from scrap metal recycling, and in 1995,
to date, the BMC has received $7,929 in
revenue from scrap aluminum recycling.
Postal employees use metal OTR con-
tainers to move mail between facilities,
although this was not their intended use,
and facilities hoard OTRs for the holiday
season. The BMCs have no control over
the OTR inventory, thus OTRs are not
readily available to move the mail in the
BMC service area. To solve the problem
of access to mail transport equipment, the
USPS has designed the Integrated Mail
Handling System, which would substitute
cardboard gaylord boxes for the reusable
OTRs and require modifying existing mail
handling equipment to accommodate the
gaylords. Recommendations are
Cancel the Integrated Mail Handling
System, and use OTRs instead of
cardboard gaylord boxes.
Purchase enough additional OTRs
or other permanent mail transport
equipment for the nationwide move-
ment of non-peak period mail vol-
ume and design and implement a
nationwide bar-code labeling and
tracking system for the OTRs.
Reuse cardboard gaylord boxes that
enter facility, rather than recycling
them after one use. One reuse of
each gaylord will reduce costs by
$500,000.
Exhibit 1. BMC Solid Waste Generation and Pollution Prevention Opportunities
Waste Current Management
Opportunities
Obsolete, damaged or
defective equipment
Corrugated cardboard
Computer print-out
White paper
Mixed paper
Magazines
Toner cartridges
Pallets
Plastic stretch wrap
Rags
Fluorescent tubes
Strapping
Oil
Alkaline Batteries
Lighting Ballasts
Disposed or sold as scrap
Some reused, gaylords recycled,
other cardboard disposed
Discarded as waste
Some recycled
Discarded as waste
Discarded as waste
Returned for recycling
USPS pallets sent to Arlington
facility for redistribution. Pine
pallets sold as scrap for mulch
Discarded as waste
Discarded as waste
Discarded as waste
Discarded as waste
Rerefined
Recycled
PCB ballasts managed as hazardous,
nonPCB ballasts recycled
Repair at USPS Computer Repair
Facility (CRF) in Topeka KS, reuse
Reduce use of gaylords, increase use of
OTRs, reduce incoming boxes, reuse
boxes, improve diversion for recycling
Reduce generation, divert for recycling
Reduce generation, improve diversion
for recycling
Reduce generation, divert for recycling
Reduce generation, divert for recycling
Continue recycling
Reduce variety, reuse pine pallets,
establish recycling options for pine
pallets
Reduce generation, divert for recycling
Investigate rag service feasibility
Improve ambient light, install motion
sensitive lighting, divert for recycling
Divert for recycling
Purchase rerefined oil
Use rechargeable batteries
Improve ambient light, install motion
sensitive lighting, turn lights off
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Exhibit 2. Current Cost of Waste Collection
Material
Mixed Waste at
BMC
Mixed Waste at
CPF
Oily Rags
Container
Size
40 cu yd
6cu yd
55-gallon
drum
Collection
Frequency
12 per month
26 per month
3-4 drums per
month
Monthly Fee
$147.50 per
pull or $1,770
per month
$3,145
$400 per drum
or $1,200 to
$1,600 per
month
Annual Cost
$21,240
$37,740
$14,400
to
$19,200
Total
$73,380 - $78,180
Exhibit 3. Cost-Saving Pollution Prevention Opportunities
Item(s) of
Concern
Gaylords/OTRs
Current Practice
Use disposable
gaylords in place of
durable aluminum
OTRs.
Pollution Prevention
Opportunity
Purchase sufficient
quantity of reusable
OTRs and maintain for
10 years.
Summary o fEstima te d Po tential Sa vings/Re venues
Cost Per Trip:
Aluminum OTRa
$1.40
(150 trips/
Cardboard Gaylord
$5.41
(single use)
yrfor 10 yrs)
After 39 trips/year, OTRs are more cost effective
than single use gaylords.
Potential savings of $4.01 per trip.
Cardboard
Gaylords
Old Corrugated
Cardboard
Rags
Recycle after single
use.
Recycle cardboard
gaylords
Dispose remaining 30
percent ofOCC stream
as waste.
Purchase new rags
Dispose rags by
incineration
Reuse gaylords.
Continue current
recycling practices.
Utilize baler and recycle
remaining OCC.
Launder rags
Dispose 25 percent of
rags annually
Based on annual purchase costs of $1,000,000,
potential savings for single reuse of each gaylord
equal $500,000.
Approximately $100,000 revenue (at 60 tons/mo
and $140/ton) for gaylords.
Approximately $100 to $140 per ton in revenue for
each additional ton of corrugated cardboard
recycled.
Yearl
Laundering11 New0 Cost Savings
$2.17/lb $2.23/lb $414
Year 2
Laundering11 New0 Cost Savings
$2.06/lb $2.23/lb $1,173
* $1,138 purchase cost and $1,000 lifetime maintenance cost
b Cost of laundering rags is approximately $10,350 annually; annual disposal costs with laundering are $3,600.
" Purchase of new rags costs approximately $1030 annually; annual disposal costs are $14,400.
Reuse cardboard boxes in other
processing operations.
Segregate for recycling the OCC
that cannot be reused.
Improve the office paper recycling
system.
Reduce the quantity of UBBM and
recycle rather than dispose of LIMs.
Pallets
Establish a formal recycling system
for pine pallets. Recyclers will re-
pair or rebuild pallets for resale.
Several pallet recycling services are
available in the Dallas area.
Fluorescent Lights
Establish a fluorescent tube recy-
cling program for the 1,500 fluores-
cent tubes used at this facility.
Rechargeable Batteries
Purchase rechargeable batteries
and a charging unit to recharge the
batteries. GSA has available re-
chargeable alkaline batteries that
offer the high performance attributes
of regular alkaline batteries along
with the cost and environmental
benefits of a reusable system.
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Affirmative Procurement
Establish preference programs and
adopt specifications for the pur-
chase of products made with the
percentages of recovered materi-
als specified in EPA Guidelines.
Lighting
Increase the use of motion sensi-
tive lighting.
Install motion sensitive lighting in
infrequently used areas.
Establish a "lights out" policy.
Establish a policy of turning off lights
and equipment when leaving an
area. Where machine design per-
mits, turn photocopiers to low power
when not in use.
Increase the use of ambient light-
ing.
Become a Federal Partner in the
Green Lights Program.
Computers
Procure computers that meet En-
ergy Star requirements.
Battery Charging
Review procedures on the proper
charging of batteries to prevent ac-
cidental acid overflows.
Dedicated Oil Containers
The Dallas BMC has a bulk distribution
system which stores several types of oil
and a solvent called Pro-Power, an oil
emulsifier, but the facility uses one con-
tainer to transfer the products. This pro-
cess generates unnecessary waste
because excess oil is disposed, instead of
being reused, and because the containers
must be cleaned with solvent after each
use. Therefore, dedicated containers
should be purchased and used for each
specific material.
Conclusions and
Recommendations
The BMC facility has taken admirable
steps in terms of implementing a relatively
aggressive recycling and reuse program
for many commodities, such as OCC,
metal, and pallets. In terms of OCC, the
BMC should focus on reusing cardboard
gaylord boxes, replacing these with du-
rable aluminum OTRs, and capturing for
recycling the 20% to 30% of the OCC
stream that is disposed. The BMC should
investigate a rag laundering service and
also should implement more aggressive
policies to reduce the amount of paper
waste generated and disposed, most no-
tably UBBM and LIMs. Facility staff showed
an openness to pollution prevention ideas
and should continue to explore new op-
tions such as energy savings through
daylighting, the Green Lights program, and
procurement of Energy Star computers,
as well as more simple options such as
lights out policies, double-sided copying,
and adopting an affirmative procurement
policy.
The full report was submitted in partial
fulfillment of Contract No. 68-C2-0148,
Work Assignment 3-10 by Science Appli-
cations International Corporation under the
sponsorship of the U.S. Environmental Pro-
tection Agency.
Carole O. Bell, Mary Hoel, and Henry Huppert are with Science Applications Interna-
tional Corporation, Newport Rl 02840.
James S. Bridges and N. Theresa Hoagland are the EPA Project Officers (see
below).
The complete report, entitled "Pollution Prevention Assessment, U. S. Postal Service,
Bulk Mail Center, Dallas, TX," (Order No. PB97-100028; Cost: $25.00, subject to
change) will be available only from
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161
Telephone: 703-487-4650
The EPA Project Officers can be contacted at
National Risk Management Research Laboratory
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Cincinnati OH 45268
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
Center for Environmental
Research Information (G-72)
Cincinnati, OH 45268
BULK RATE
POSTAGE & FEES PAID
EPA
PERMIT No. G-35
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use
$300
EPA/600/SR-96/111
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