Supporting the Environment

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Australia Post does much more than deliver the mail.

With almost 4,500 postal outlets, Post is Australia's largest retailer and financial services provider, and is committed to protecting the environment in the course of providing these services.

Post has put in place an Environment Management System, which focuses on the environmental impacts of everyday operations. Post is also a signatory to the Federal Government's Greenhouse Challenge program, National Packaging Covenant and Buy Recycled Alliance.

As a result, the corporation is reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and carefully evaluating the impacts of its activities on the environment and the community. Find out more about Post's commitment to the environment.

MobileMuster

MobileMuster is the official national recycling program of the mobile phone industry in Australia. Australia Post has teamed with MobileMuster to be the first business in Australia to provide free Reply Paid mobile phone recycling satchels through its outlets.

Customers simply collect a satchel from their local Australia Post outlet, place the battery in one section of the satchel and the phone and accessories in the other section of the satchel and post it in any street posting box. This simple process will assist in decreasing the volume of mobile phones and accessories going to landfill.

View the MobileMuster ad

Landcare

Australia Post and Landcare Australia have joined forces to introduce two new grant programs to help community groups across Australia improve the environment and create more sustainable and healthy communities.

Australia Post/Landcare Community Development Grants

Community groups, including local Landcare groups across Australia, can now apply for yearly grants of up to $3,300 (including GST) to help improve their local community and environment, through the Australia Post/Landcare Community Development Grants Program.

Download guidelines (Word format)

Download application form (Word format)

2006

Round one winners (pdf)

Round two winners (pdf)

2007

Round one winners (pdf)

Round two winners (pdf)

2008

Round one winners (pdf)

Round two applications close 19th September.

Junior Landcare Grants Program

Australia Post will also help schools and youth groups across the country improve biodiversity in their local community through the Australia Post/Junior Landcare Biodiversity Grants.

By working with schools and youth groups, the grants aim to involve families and communities in caring for our environment.

Download guidelines (Word format)

Download application form (Word format)

2006

Round one winners (pdf)

Round two winners (pdf)

Round three winners (pdf)

Round four winners (pdf)

2007

Round one winners (pdf)

Round two winners (pdf)

Round three winners (pdf)

Round four winners (pdf)

2008

Round one winners (pdf)

Round two winners (pdf)

Round three applications close 1st August.

Round four applications close 24th October.

For more information visit Landcare Australia.

Cartridges 4 Planet Ark

Australia Post support's the 'Cartridges 4 Planet Ark' program, which has been set up to stop Australia's printer cartridges ending up in landfill, where they can pollute our groundwater and soil.

Australia Post is encouraging people to drop off their used inkjet and laser toner cartridges from the home or office into special collection boxes at over 1700 participating Australia Post outlets. This program accepts and processes every type of imaging consumable used in printers, photocopiers and fax machines.

Almost 60% of laser toner cartridges collected are sent back to the original equipment manufacturers for their own remanufacturing or component recovery programs. The remaining cartridges are recycled by Close the Loop®, an Australian hi-tech facility with zero waste going to landfill.

The component materials recovered include aluminium, steel, plastic, toner, ink and foam for reuse and recycling.

This process has the potential to save over 5,000 tonnes of material currently polluting the environment from the 18 million laser and ink cartridges thrown away annually. To participate, customers can leave their used cartridges in specially marked collection boxes at over 1,700 Australia Post outlets and 120 Harvey Norman stores. A full list of collection outlets are listed at www.RecyclingNearYou.com.au

Australia Post is a proud participant in ‘Cartridges 4 Planet Ark’ - closing the loop between retail and recycling. Customers have broad access to recycle their cartridges and make a positive contribution to the environment. Find out what happens to the cartridges.

For further information call the ‘Cartridges 4 Planet Ark’ hotline 1800 24 24 73 or go to www.planetark.com/cartridges

Cards 4 Planet Ark

From Boxing Day until the end of January each year customers can pick up their free reply-paid recycling envelope from participating Australia Post outlets. Read more

See examples of how organisations are reducing, reusing, recycling and rethinking through environmental programs in Action Town.