Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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Micromail

Micromail--Snail mail fights back!
  (+14, -1)(+14, -1)
(+14, -1)
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Micromail would allow for those who have extra room in their car to carry mail/packages on their daily commute. Local post offices would pay a small incentive (3-5 bucks**) for the "mail mules" to pull through the Micromail drivethrough and pick up a locked tote(s) containing *50 lbs. of deliverables to take to another post office. The totes themselves would have to be equipped with a GPS device. The mail mule would then drop off the micro delivery at the post office branch nearest her office. Micromail would speed up delivery of the postal service (multiple micro trips per day) and use an available resource--untapped passenger seating. Sound green?

*800 1 ounce letters (50 lbs) **$328 is what the post office gets in gross rev @ .41 rate for one tote.

Monty6, Nov 14 2007

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       Variation of this: Junk-mail collection: People can drop off all of their un-wanted junk mail at a micro-junkmail depository and it will be collected and sent back to junk-mail sending corporations on a percentage basis. The more you send the more you get back.   

       Croissant!
kdmurray, Nov 14 2007
  

       I believe the bottleneck with mail is not the mass transport but home delivery. (Does anyone know otherwise?) Bulk transport is pretty cheap and efficient to begin with.   

       (-) So, yes, this does "sound green", but isn't. There's got to be a better way of using the same effort!
jutta, Nov 14 2007
  

       by the way a photograph of the number plate + the tracking system would help stop theives
xxobot, Nov 15 2007
  

       This is awesome!
phundug, Nov 16 2007
  

       Points well taken...maybe the idea could be used for computerized carpooling system to match drivers and passengers. I am sure it's being done.
Monty6, Nov 22 2007
  
      
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