Recycling bins have replaced the circular file in nearly 6,000 Post Office™ lobbies nationwide as part of an initiative that encourages people to read, respond and recycle their mail.

The Post Office Box Lobby Recycling Program — launched nationally last fall — helps divert paper waste from landfills, reducing the amount of virgin fiber from trees needed to produce more paper and eliminating greenhouse gas emissions from solid waste disposal.

Customers are encouraged to remove mail from their P.O. box, open it, take the necessary action and place the rest into the bin. And it’s working: About 77 percent of participating lobbies that measured trash amounts before the program have seen the amount of solid waste decline since its launch.

You can support the effort with a line on your mailing that directs recipients to Earth911.com for a list of participating Post Offices where they can recycle the piece. While your customers will ultimately make their own decisions about when and how to dispose of their mail, informing them of recycling options can help make that choice a little easier — and environmentally preferable.