We’re all aware of the impact that comes from the extra buying during the holiday season, but we often overlook another (large) environmental affecting act that comes along with all those presents: Shipping them. Yes, many presents only go as far as your tree, but others make trips around the country or even around the world, and the carbon emissions of those traveling presents can be significant. Still, if your friends and family are far away and you want to send a gift, you’ll need to ship, so it’s worth it to know what each major shipping company offers in terms of environmental action.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) actually has a well laid-out green section of their site that provides tips and information on improving the eco-friendliness of your mail, and they can be a solid choice for shipping. The USPS Priority Mail packaging has received Cradle to Cradle Certification (the first mailing company to do so) and their “fleet of feet” means that many items are delivered by foot instead of by petroleum-guzzling car. Even better, the USPS is now building with green materials like recycled fiberglass and solar, and they’re the first government agency to publically report their greenhouse gas emissions.

UPS has been focusing for years on improving the fuel conservation of their vehicles, and they now operate the largest private alternative-fuel fleet in the transportation industry (you may remember the company saving three million gallons of gas just by eliminating left turns a couple years ago). They’ve even taken their fuel conservation to the skies, with new flight planning systems that map the most efficient route between two points.

Over at FedEx similar efforts have gone into a greener fleet of delivery vehicles (they operate the largest fleet of commercial hybrid trucks in North America) and eco-friendly packaging (most of their envelopes are made from 100% recycled paper). FedEx Office also recently ranked highest in ForestEthics’ evaluation of the office retail sector, although it’s not the first award FedEx Office has received for its greener paper products.

It’s hard to label a clear winner for best mailing/shipping company (just as situations vary, so will the right choice), but you can get a guaranteed green improvement in your shipping by analyzing your own mail habits. For example, printing postage and setting up shipments online can save serious resources (as well as money). Eliminating the amount of mail you create and send can also make a significant difference. Try ordering gifts from one online retailer instead of a variety and, if you do photo Christmas cards, see if they can be send directly to recipients instead of sent to you first (online card company Tiny Prints offers this service).

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