The world's first green post office opened in November in Ft. Worth, Texas, made entirely with recycled-content materials and energy efficient systems. With more than 35,000 facilities nationwide, and about 700 new facilities constructed each year, USPS is implementing alternatives to wasteful building practices.
Some of the environmental features of the new building are:
* Recycled cellulose and yard scraps used in landscaping mulch
* Fly ash in concrete
* Recycled plastic in toilet partitions and wall bumpers
* Recycled tires in dock bumpers
* Recycled cellulose in ceiling tiles and panels
* Certified wood throughout
* Strawbale exterior walls
* Recycled trellis structure shades the south-facing windows during the summer
* Recycled steel reinforcements
The facility took two years to construct and saved the agency $36,000 over a similar size conventional structure.
