14 November 2007

Reusing Envelopes

If you'd like to practice the lost art of writing letters, you can also practice the 3Rs.

Save envelopes you get in the mail or happen to have around you, and use them again for mailing things out.


This is the photo at the Post Office of the reused envelope I used to send a gift to a friend. After it left the Post Office, the friend on the other end got it with no trouble. And it makes the mail all the more interesting!

-shira.

5 comments:

  1. do you mean that any business or companies that solicate us with credit card applications or others, it usually come with self stamp envelope.....

    To reuse....cover the mailing address on it with new destinate address? work? I wonder

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  2. Good questions...

    You can re-use envelopes that you get in your junk mail, or manila envelopes that you may accumulate. Cover the old addresses, and add stamps. I have also re-used stamps that are intact on mail (no markings on them) with no problems. You can also use the envelopes to hold things around the house -- receipts, recipes, notes to family members, etc...

    Sometimes you get envelopes with windows on them. You can re-use or recycle these. To recycle these envelopes, sometimes you need to remove the window and gummy adhesive strip before putting the envelope in the recycling bin. I believe procedures depend on your town's recycling policies.


    However, I don't think you can really re-use Business Reply Mail (BRM) envelopes that have "No Postage Necessary if Mailed in the United States." I stumbled upon this site, and you can check it out to see what people say about BRM:
    http://www.kevinfreitas.net/journal/business-reply-anti-mail/

    Anyone have other suggestions for recycling or reusing envelopes?

    -shira.

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  3. What if someone sent you somthing in the mail,like a book or somthing with a paid postage on it,is it illegal to reuse it to send to someone else?

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  4. i just did quick research and it looks like it's some kind of postal fraud to do that. i would opt for just reusing the envelope :)

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  5. I think you can reuse even the postage-paid envelopes without getting in trouble with the post office if you just put a stamp on it. This way you're not charging the company. I gathered this from the charity solicitations I get with a postage-paid envelope that says, "Save us needed funds by adding your own stamp!"

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