Who even has mail sent to their home address anymore. The delivery of mail by the U.S. Postal Service, especially when it comes to unsolicited junk mail, represents a significant waste of public resources. Postal trucks are used to transport and deliver millions of pieces of mail, many of which end up being thrown away immediately, costing taxpayers for fuel, vehicle maintenance, and labor. In rural areas, postal workers often drive long distances—sometimes up to 40 miles—in bad weather conditions just to deliver a piece of junk mail that is promptly discarded. This not only wastes time and energy but also contributes to wear and tear on the vehicles and increases the risk of accidents.
Furthermore, these deliveries result in environmental pollution, as the trucks burn fossil fuels and emit harmful pollutants into the air. This is particularly concerning given that much of the mail could be avoided altogether. Many people, especially in rural and suburban areas, already leave their homes for errands like grocery shopping, and could easily pick up their mail at a local post office. Additionally, with the rise of digital communication, much of the mail, including bills and advertisements, could be received online, eliminating the need for physical delivery altogether.
In conclusion, the current system of door-to-door mail delivery, especially for junk mail, is an inefficient and wasteful use of resources. By shifting to centralized mail pickup or embracing digital alternatives, the U.S. Postal Service could reduce costs, lower environmental impact, and better allocate its resources. This would help ensure that public resources are used more wisely, benefiting both taxpayers and the environment.
if you don’t end it at least make it where the mail service is once a week. It seems so useless to drive rural mail delivery 40 miles to deliver one piece of unsolicited junk mail
It’s also a waste of government resources having the mail truck drive a single piece of unsolicited junk mail to your house just to have you throw it in the trash. many many years ago before online mail delivery US Postal Service was a necessity And the only means people would receive mail. Having a centrally located mailbox, where people could check their mail would be ideal. People come into town to pick up groceries and run errands. They could easily add a stop to the mailbox to their list.
Maybe they could put actual mailboxes in the grocery stores and pay the grocery stores a set amount every month for use of this space so when the people are picking up their groceries, they check their mail. It might also make grocery prices go down because they will have This Guaranteed money from renting space for the mailboxes
Immediately end Saturday delivery and go to, as a maximum 2 or 3 days a week delivery. Get rid of junk mail and delivery for Amazon which is poor at best.
Thank you for agreeing. The US mail delivery is a total waste of resources especially to these small mountain towns with houses in rural areas sometimes 40+ miles from the actual town.
Most people use email messaging for communication and handle most business and payment processing via web sites. There isn’t a need for 6 days of mail delivery per week.
A good place to start would be to end Saturday mail delivery entirely. No one would miss it.
Next I suggest “every other day” mail delivery be implemented. This would reduce the costs associated with “daily delivery” by half. The USPS could deliver everyone’s mail with half the staff. People would still get mail delivery regardless of the distance from a post office.
The USPS was a vital tool of communication before the internet. Now it’s a vestigial organ that drains resources from the body politic. It’s still useful but must be reformed to remain so.
The annual budget for the United States Postal Service (USPS) varies each year. For fiscal year 2023, the USPS had a budget of approximately $79.1 billion. This figure includes the costs associated with delivering mail, operating facilities, employee wages, and purchasing equipment, as well as covering other expenses.
It’s important to note that the USPS is a self-sustaining entity that does not rely on taxpayer funding for its operational costs. Instead, it generates revenue through the sale of postage and other services, though it has faced financial challenges in recent years
I guess elderly and disabled people on a rural route will just be SOL then?
Same for those living in wilderness areas that already have to drive 16 miles of dirt roads just to get to their mailbox.
This policy sucks and smacks of a total disconnect and disregard for the realities of rural people who do not rely on email for everything because rural America still isn’t connected like everyone else. Nor does it even consider the plights of the disabled and elderly.
How do they get groceries, see a doctor and daily necessities. The system needs examined. I like the post on here that someone added to say initially cut out Saturdays and then maybe go to every other day for mail delivery service.