Secure Destruction

Secure Destruction is a cost effective, secure, and convenient way to manage mail with personal protected information.

Part of the USPS® BlueEarth sustainability initiatives and an opt-in service, this new program securely shreds and recycles letter and flat-sized pieces of Undeliverable-As-Addressed (UAA) First-Class Mail® with personal protected information that would otherwise be returned to the sender (RTS).

 

Who is Secure Destruction for?

Mailers participating in OneCode ACS®, Full-Service ACS, or Traditional ACS™ with an Intelligent Mail® barcode may request Secure Destruction Service using a Secure Destruction Service Type ID.

First Class Mail

First Class Mail

Description

The Secure Destruction program provides an opportunity to improve environmental performance, cut costs, and enhance value to customers​.

Participation offers mailers reduced costs associated with receiving, handling, and destroying RTS mail with Privacy Protected Information (PPI). USPS also benefits by reducing the amount of Return to Sender (RTS) mail that needs to be processed, transported, and delivered to mailers. 

SD mail service is available today for both letter and flat-sized First-Class Mail labeled with an Intelligent Mail® barcode (IMbTM). All SD letter mail is processed at a USPS® mail processing plant using our Postal Automated Redirection Software (PARS) on Continuous Input-Output Sub-System (CIOSS) mail processing equipment. SD flat mail is processed using Flats Postal Automated Redirection Software (FPARS) on an Automated Flats Sorting Machine (AFSM100). Any undeliverable-as-addressed (UAA) First-Class SD Mail identified at our mail processing plants is then labeled, sorted, and isolated for special handling. The undeliverable SD mail is then trayed and sent for individual piece verification by USPS employees. Once verified, the mail is fed into an industrial cross-cut shredder at the USPS facility. The destroyed and shredded paper material is then recycled.

Mailers that enroll in the program will receive Daily Electronic Notice of the mailpieces sorted for Secure Destruction, which is generated and provided to registered mailers through the USPS Electronic Product Fulfillment website. ACS notices are also generated and provided separately. The Secure Destruction Electronic Notification documentation will guide you through the Secure Destruction process, mailer requirements; data file formats, and sample data.

Mailing Industry Benefits

  • Reduces carbon emissions (i.e., greenhouse gases). The USPS estimates that for every 25,000 pieces of carrier delivered Return To Sender (RTS) mail that is destroyed, carbon emissions are reduced by an average of 1 metric ton of CO2 equivalent.
  • The process takes place within secure USPS facilities by Postal employees, reducing risks of information exposure.
  • All securely destroyed mail will be recycled, thus reducing the demand on natural resources.

Benefits for Registered Mailers

  • Reduction of in-house costs for handling and destroying Return to Sender (RTS) mail.
  • Visibility into the process through daily automated notifications on the USPS Electronic Product Fulfillment (EPF) website.
  • Improvements in privacy protection for customers.

Mailers interested in the Secure Destruction Program must complete these steps to register:

  1. Use of the Intelligent Mail barcode (IMb™) for letter and flat-sized Full Service or Basic First-Class Mail is required. 

  2. An ACS account is required to receive the secure destruction notices. You may use an existing OneCode ACS, SingleSource ACS™, or Traditional ACS account, or you may open a new ACS account.

  3. Access to Electronic Product Fulfillment (EPF) website is required, because that's how the secure destruction notices will be provided. If you already have an ACS account or subscribe to other Address Management products, then you probably already have EPF access.

  4. Complete and submit the Secure Destruction Enrollment form. This will enable the flow of secured destruction notices to your ACS account.

  5. Determine which Secure Destruction Service Type ID (STID) you will use in the IMb. Information on the options available can be found in the Secure Destruction Electronic Notification documentation. You will be provided with a list of the STIDs as soon as you are registered.

Featured Resources

Fact Sheets
03/09/2023
Secure Destruction Mail Option Sell Sheet

Secure Destruction Enrollment Form

Fact Sheets
05/10/2022
Presentations
09/24/2021
Secure Destruction - A Primer for Mailers - September 2021

This document provides information on the Secure Destruction, a Primer for Mailers webinar.

Announcements
04/20/2016
New USPS® BlueEarth Secure Destruction

This document provides information an overview of USPS' new Secure Destruction program, BlueEarth SD.

Applications/ Forms
09/01/2017
Secure Destruction Enrollment Form

This document is an enrollment application form for Secure Destruction.

Fact Sheets
07/11/2019
Secure Destruction Pamphlet for Mailers

This document provides information for mailers on how to register for Secure Destruction.

Tech Guides
09/12/2019
Secure Destruction Technical Guide

A technical reference for implementing the Secure Destruction process.

FAQs
Secure Destruction Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

This document outlines frequently asked questions and answers regarding secure destruction.

Contact Lists
09/24/2021
Secure Destruction Plant ZIP Look Up Table

This document provides a ZIP Code lookup table for Secure Destruction plants.

Fact Sheets
06/02/2020
Mailer Assistance Checklist

This checklist has been developed to assist mailers interested in taking advantage of the new USPS® Secure Destruction Mail Service offering.

Fact Sheets
06/02/2020
Information Security Cross-Comparison Table

This document provides additional information on Secure Destruction and general information security.

Secure Destruction Workshops and Webinars

Announcements
03/18/2016
Postal Customer Council (PCC) Workshop: Secure Destruction

A Postal Customer Council (PCC) workshop presentation on Secure Destruction, as part of the new sustainable BlueEarth mail service offering.

Fact Sheets
03/18/2016
PCC Workshops-in-a-Box: Secure Destruction Industry Information

This document provides industry information about the USPS BlueEarth Secure Destruction program. 

Related Products

OneCode ACS®

OneCode ACS allows customers mailing First-Class Mail®, Standard Mail®, and Periodical flats or letters to receive electronic or automated address corrections using the Intelligent Mail® barcode.

Traditional ACS™

Traditional ACS is one of the four ways to participate in ACS, where mailers receive notifications of undeliverable mail (UAA) and change-of-address (COA) electronically. The Intelligent Mail® barcode is not required to receive Traditional ACS.

Electronic Documentation (eDoc)

To participate in Full-Service Intelligent Mail®, mailers must submit information electronically. This computer-consumable version replaces existing hardcopies and includes the following: postage statement and qualification report.

Service Type Identifiers (STIDs)

The Intelligent Mail barcode (IMb) is used to identify mailpiece movement through the postal system and support any additional services requested for that mailpiece. The STID defines the mailpiece as full-service or basic (non-automation) and is also used to determine the disposition of undeliverable-as-addressed (UAA) mail and the form of address correction that a mailer desires if any.

Intelligent Mail® Barcode

The Intelligent Mail® barcode (IMb) is used to sort and track letters, cards and flats and offers greater versatility by allowing many services to be requested and embedded within one barcode. The Intelligent Mail barcode combines the data of the existing POSTNET™ and the PLANET Code® barcodes, as well as other data, into a single barcode. 

ACS™

ACS is a post mailing service that allows mailers to receive change-of-address (COA) and other reasons for non-delivery electronically and reduce the number of manual (hardcopy) address notifications.

Contact

For questions about enrollment or participation, please call (877) 640-0724 (option 1) or send an email to the ACS department at acs@usps.gov.