United States Postal Service.

We connect the nation

The U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation: Nearly 167 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

Mission statement

Adopted by the Board of Governors on April 1, 2020

 Our history

The United States Postal Service has a storied history as the institution of our Government guaranteeing safe and secure communication among and between the Government and the American people.

Many are familiar with our history, which began with the Second Continental Congress and Benjamin Franklin in 1775 and continued in 1787 when the Postal Clause of the U.S. Constitution empowered Congress to establish post offices and post roads. Congress exercised those powers with the passage of The Post Office Act of 1792, which made the Postal Service a permanent fixture of the Federal Government. The Act included provisions to facilitate freedom of the press, the privacy of personal correspondence, and expand the nation’s physical infrastructure, all vital to our nation’s growth and prosperity.

These principles and objectives endure. While radio, television and the Internet have irrevocably altered our information-gathering habits, postal correspondence remains the most secure and resilient form of communication, providing the American People with a delivery infrastructure vital to our National Security.

USPS retains the largest physical and logistical infrastructure of any non-military government institution, providing an indispensable foundation supporting an ever changing and evolving nationwide communication network. Capitalizing on its expertise in scheduling and high-volume sorting, USPS also serves a vital role enabling digital commerce.

Recycling of Empty Toner and Inkjet Cartridges

The USPS® BlueEarth™ Federal Recycling Program is the U.S. Postal Service's® resource for recycling all empty toner and inkjet cartridges. This saves the Postal Service™ money and retains revenue.

For ALL empty toner and inkjet recycling returns, use the USPS BlueEarth Federal Recycling Program 

Do NOT photocopy the labels. A new label must be gen­erated for each shipment. Do not use the UPS label included in the new cartridge box.