Reusing Priority Envelopes

[Erin_S2S]

I like to reuse shipping materials whenever possible. I peel the old labels off of boxes and even reuse some larger envelopes. I turn the envelopes inside out and write the new address on the unused side. Priority mail envelopes work especially well for this and I often get things sent to me in them.
Well at the post office today, the lady at the counter noticed. Even though she let me mail it, she told me not to use priority envelopes any more unless I'm shipping them priority mail. I found that very irritating. The envelope was obviously being reused and had originally been shipped via priority mail. Now I'm going to have to use twice as many envelopes as I had been before.
I think I'm going to email USPS about it.

[Flower]

Weird. There's no reason you shouldn't be able to use the envelopes if they're turned inside out. I mean, they're just *white* on the inside!

[Joyful-Eyes]

I reuse things like that too...
It's really too bad, because those envelopes are practically indestructable! That's makes me think of the sick way Mcdonald's throws away all their breakfast food promptly at 10:31 am instead of giving it to some homeless shelter or something! :no:

Makes me cringe, to be honest...

It's disgustingly horrible to me, because there are homeless people out there who are starving! It's such a huge waste, but to the big corporations it's quite ok, because they have covered their costs by making us pay ridiculous prices to cover their gross waste! I even asked them about WHY they do it, and they said, it's because if someone gets sick, they could get sued...Grrrrrr....Like that would even happen...Surely they could make some sort of agreement with said shelters to absolve them of any liabilty...Maybe not, but it's very frustrating! :wall:
It just seems sooooo wrong!

[1vegan]

I reuse envelopes, but don't see why I should turn them inside out.

I just glue a piece of paper over the old adress and send it again.

(I scratch through the company's name and the printed zip(bar) code.

[bstutzma]

I reuse envelopes, but don't see why I should turn them inside out.

I just glue a piece of paper over the old adress and send it again.

(I scratch through the company's name and the printed zip(bar) code.

the other day at the post office i was sending a gift, and in lieu of wrapping it in colored paper and then putting it in another package, I bought the overpriced decorated wrapping at the post office. I looked around and the only way to label these would be to pay another $0.50 for a colored label. Well, i didnt need a lovely label so I took a priority label, cut off the priority part and put it on the package. The woman saw me do it and said it was unacceptable, that those were only for priority mail. Ridiculous! it's not like she gets a commission off of sales or something...

[kpickell]

Yep it's a federal crime to resue a Priority Mail envelope. Since you have to pay for plain envelopes and boxes, but you can get the Priority ones for free at any post office, some people try to use them to mail everything, like turning it inside out as you said, even before it's ever been used. So that's why they complain. And that's why the stamp the inside of the boxes and envelopes now with the USPS logo. If you're not going to pay extra to mail it Priority then they want you to pay extra to buy a plain envelope and a plain label. ... My post office wouldn't let me mail stuff at Media Rate or First Class using their recycled boxes. I tried to sneak it past em, but they are keen on this. Thankfully they didn't arrest me though since they now post signs stating it's a federal crime to reuse their envelope and who knows how many years in prison I would get for mailing that package of books.

[@1vegan, these Priority envelopes you would have to turn inside out because on the outside of them the USPS Priority logo is plastered everywhere. Though now that they stamp the insides too, it doesn't make much difference.]

[Coney]

My favorite thing to reuse is stamps that haven't been cancelled. I slice them off and glue them back on another envelope.

Another thing you can reuse is the envelopes that your electric bills come in. They give you another one inside to send your bill in, so if you just open the outside envelope neatly, you can just cover up the address on the front and use it again, throw some tape over the end and you're all set.