This is just a small idea, with low cost and low resistance.
Problem: Sneaky junk mailers try to make their envelopes look like official government mailings
Solution: Every piece of mail from the Federal or State government should have the same official seal.
Yes the Department of Obscure Services can have its own logo, but the government seal would be first. Even your lowly city government could place the seal first, as long it was followed by a logo that said “City of …”. A good seal might be something as simple as a square box with the words “GOVERNMENT MAIL”. Postal Service regulations could prohibit any mail with anything near this seal.
The details for the post office would need to spelled out:
- No private mail with a box or other enclosure in the corner.
- No boxes or enclosures anywhere on the envelope with the word “GOVERNMENT”, “MAIL” or “OFFICIAL”
- No boxes or enclosures anywhere on the envelope in light blue
This would need to be phased in over a few years. The primary cost would be those agencies that now need to print light blue onto their envelopes. Even these could just print in black and white if necessary.
4 comments ↓
USPS will lobby against it — AFAIK, they like the revenue they get from junk mail, and are disinterested in doing anything against that industry.
Chatted with a consultant who dealt with USPS for decades. His view is that the USPS wouldn’t fight it unless they were asked to enforce it without funding.
It probably wouldn’t affect the amount of junk mail, but would cut down the complaints.
Even simpler, limit the use of one color of envelope. The “IRS” here in the Netherlands sends all their stuff in a certain shade of blue envelope. The banking industry works the other way around from the US – I send all my requests together in one postage paid grey envelope to my bank (well, I do when they’re written on paper, which is not very often at all anymore).
I like the “one color” idea. I think a combination would be good. A black-and-white seal costs nothing. A “government green” paper envelope fits into the regulation system we currently have restricting certain types and shades of paper for money, passports, etc.
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