Search Results for: sustainability

KiwiBank Boosts Post Group Half Year Result

Posted by | Mar 25, 2008 | |

The New Zealand Post Group performed well in the six months to 31 December 2007, and has reported a net profit after tax of $52.9 million, says Group Chief Executive John Allen. “Taking account of new International Financial Reporting Standards, we have made a $4.5 million improvement – an increase of over nine per cent on the previous half year result. ”

Our result shows the benefits of our diversification strategy, with positive performances by Datamail, Postal Services and Express Couriers. Kiwibank contributed $22.7 million to our half year result.

“The past period has been exciting for us. The local government elections showed the power of the New Zealand Post Group at producing and delivering mail items. Our Value of Mail campaign has tugged at the nation’s heartstrings and reinforces the power of mail as a communications tool. We’ve also opened two new sustainably designed mail centres in Auckland and Christchurch.

“Over the period, Kiwibank has continued to grow. It’s seen a 55 per cent increase in lending, and a 30 per cent increase in retail deposits. It’s also won two awards for its new mobile banking service, and the Marsh Most Improved Performance award in the Deloitte Top 200 awards”.

John Allen says that, overall, he’s pleased with the performance of the Group, given that all parts of the business operate in highly competitive markets. “Typically, we record our strongest performance in the first six months of the year. I expect that this trend will continue and that the six months ahead will be challenging, although our diversification strategy positions us well.”

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Free recycling through the mail. U.S. Postal Service starts service in 1,500 Post Offices

Posted by | Mar 17, 2008 | |

Free and green. Those are the goals of a pilot program launched today by the U.S. Postal Service that allows customers to recycle small electronics and inkjet cartridges by mailing them free of charge.

The “Mail Back” program helps consumers make more environmentally friendly choices, making it easier for customers to discard used or obsolete small electronics in an environmentally responsible way. Customers use free envelopes found in 1,500 Post Offices to mail back inkjet cartridges, PDAs, Blackberries, digital cameras, iPods and MP3 players – without having to pay for postage.

Postage is paid for by Clover Technologies Group, a nationally recognized company that recycles, remanufactures and remarkets inkjet cartridges, laser cartridges and small electronics. If the electronic item or cartridges cannot be refurbished and resold, its component parts are reused to refurbish other items, or the parts are broken down further and the materials are recycled. Clover Technologies Group has a “zero waste to landfill” policy: it does everything it can to avoid contributing any materials to the nation’s landfills.

It was this philosophy that won Clover the contract with the Postal Service, besting 19 other companies, said Anita Bizzotto, chief marketing officer and executive vice president for the Postal Service.

The free, postage-paid Mail Back envelopes can be found on displays in Post Office lobbies. There is no limit to the number of envelopes customers may take.

The pilot is set for 10 areas across the country, including Washington, D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles and San Diego, but could become a national program this fall if the pilot program proves successful.

The Postal Service recycles 1 million tons of paper, plastic and other materials annually. Last year, USPS generated more than USD 7.5 million in savings through recycling and waste prevention programs. The nation’s environmental watchdog, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded the Postal Service eight WasteWise Partner of the Year awards, the agency’s top honor.

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New postal service to help housing organisations go green

Posted by | Mar 11, 2008 | |

The social housing sector could save up to 58% on mail delivery costs and significantly reduce its carbon footprint with a brand new Postal Services deal launched by Procurement for Housing (PfH).

PfH’s market research showed that housing organisations send an average of 194 letters per day, each spending in the region of GBP 40,856 per year on the stationery, printing, collecting, processing and postal costs all involved in sending mail. As a whole the sector spends over GBP 139 million per year on mailings.

Research indicated that there was little awareness in the sector of the true total cost of sending mail via ‘traditional’ routes and there was a lack of understanding about other mail options now available through advancements in technology and process.

PfH’s Postal Services Agreement will help housing organisations reduce their environmental impact by decreasing their transport requirements. This is done through electronic mail, a service which uses email to transmit documents for the greatest part of their journey before they are printed, folded, enveloped, addressed and sorted at the supplier’s plant, ready for final delivery.

This electronic mail service eliminates the hidden costs associated with mail production, printers, toner, stationery and franking – providing an alternative to traditional postal collections. Housing providers reduce their postal costs and increase their control over spend on mail. Staff can concentrate on their core activities rather than collating mailings.

Housing organisations using the Postal Services Agreement can make up to 58% savings on the true cost of sending one letter by using PfH’s electronic mail service.

Significant savings are also available on traditional mailings, with PfH’s prices 40% less than normal franked 1st class deliveries and 13% less than normal franked 2nd class deliveries.

Three suppliers have been appointed to the Agreement – Inkfish in partnership with hybrid mail specialist DeskDirect Global, Royal Mail and TNT Post. Royal Mail and TNT offer traditional mail services such as local and national collections, mail sorting options and secure deliveries through the Agreement.

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DHL Japan fuel cell car on display at FC Expo 2008

Posted by | Mar 3, 2008 | |

DHL and pilot user of the Daimler AG (DAG) vehicle was proud to contribute to the display of this environmentally-friendly vehicle by Mercedes-Benz Japan Co., Ltd. (MBJ) at the 4th Int’l Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Expo (FC EXPO 2008), which took place at Tokyo Big Sight from 27 – 29 February 2008. DHL has been using the model since July 2006 as part of its Green Logistics environmental initiative in Japan.

As part of DHL’s global green logistics initiative – launched in Japan in July 2006 – DHL Japan introduced the F-cell to its vehicle fleet. The F-cell, the world’s first mass-produced fuel-cell car, is modeled on the Mercedes-Benz A Class and is powered by compressed hydrogen. DHL has been testing the vehicle under actual working conditions by using it for the collection and delivery of documents in downtown Tokyo, especially in the bustling Otemachi district.

Data from the tests are collected by MBJ for use in systematic improvement and development of fuel-cell vehicles by DAG, the manufacturer. MBJ’s efforts are in accordance with the Japan Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Demonstration Project, which aims to verify and evaluate a variety of effects regarding the use of fuel-cell vehicles and hydrogen energy through actual use in business operations.

In Japan, DHL uses hybrid trucks and bicycles, as well as the F-cell vehicle, to help reduce its emissions of greenhouse gases.
DHL is steadily expanding its use of alternative fuels and promoting environmentally efficient transport methods in its ground, sea and air operations around the world.

The contract logistics arm of DHL – DHL Exel Supply Chain aims to reduce its CO2 emissions by facilitating partnerships between shippers and logistics suppliers under the Green Logistics Partnership Project.

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UPS Canada helps expand largest global Green Fleet

Posted by | Feb 27, 2008 | |

PS Canada announced it will be rolling out 139 additional cleaner-burning, propane delivery trucks. The majority of these vehicles will be deployed in Quebec, Ontario and Alberta and the rest distributed between British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

The propane vehicles are joining roughly 600 propane trucks already operating in Canada. The addition of these vehicles means more than a third of UPS Canada’s 2,000 package delivery vehicles will run on low-carbon fuel.

The 139 new propane trucks are expected to reduce UPS’s carbon dioxide emissions by a total of 254 metric tonnes per year, the equivalent weight of 80 UPS trucks. This would be a 35 per cent improvement compared to conventional gas engines. Additionally, particulate matter emitted from vehicles will be virtually eliminated.

The newly added propane-powered vehicles feature the latest technology in clean-burning propane engines. Propane vehicles emit about one-third fewer reactive organic gases than gasoline-fuelled vehicles. Nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide emissions are 20 per cent and 60 per cent less, respectively, than conventional vehicles.

UPS’s global alternative-fuel fleet now stands at 1,629 vehicles – the largest such private fleet in the transportation industry – and includes compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, propane and electric and hybrid electric vehicles. UPS is also working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on a hydraulic hybrid delivery vehicle.

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