UPS is using an e-mail marketing effort to promote an initiative to offset carbon dioxide emissions generated by the transport of packages. The shipping company is targeting environmentally conscious consumers and businesses with the campaign, which launched October 6. UPS began offering some US shippers the opportunity to pay a small fee to offset the environmental impact of their shipments this week.

The US Senate approved legislation on September 30 that allows the US Postal Service to delay $4 billion in payments to a retirees' healthcare fund. The measure, passed by a 62 to 38 vote, was added to legislation that extends funding federal programs at current levels and raises Congress' budget by 6%. President Barack Obama is expected to sign the bill.

Direct Brands, a direct marketer of books, DVDs and recorded music, has named Deborah Fine president and CEO. Direct Brands and sister company Bookspan, owned by Najafi Companies, include the Book-of-the-Month Club, Columbia House, Doubleday Book Club and The Literary Guild. Previously, Fine was president of NBC Universal's iVillage Properties, a group of online communities including iVillage.com and YourTotalHealth.com with 27 million members.

The cities of San Francisco and Newark, NJ, signed this month as the first municipal clients of Web-based mail delivery system Zumbox. The two cities are using the platform, which Zumbox calls a "paperless postal system," to save on printing, paper and postage costs and to reduce their environmental impact.

UPS stuck its toe into the direct marketing industry on September 28, beginning a test of its insert marketing service in five US metropolitan areas. Industry executives reacted to the program by saying that they do not feel threatened by the move, but are hopeful that UPS's brand cachet creates opportunities for them.

The US House of Representatives passed legislation on September 25 that would allow the US Postal Service to cut the amount of money it is required to pay to its retirement account this year by $4 billion. The continuing resolution, which passed the House by a vote of 217 to 190, was awaiting action in the Senate as of press time.

A US Postal Service proposal to close office branches to cut costs at the financially troubled agency is making news headlines and has resulted in small uproars on the local level.

Local branches of Mail Boxes Etc. and the UPS Store, both UPS companies, are conducting a multifaceted marketing effort to promote online printing services, which allow consumers and businesses to publish documents from the Web. The initiative targets small to midsize businesses.

HR 22, the United States Postal Service Financial Relief Act of 2009, has passed the US House of Representatives, but postal officials say action in the Senate is needed quickly to head off potential problems. The bill cuts a required payment to postal retirees' health fund from $5.4 billion to $1.4 billion. The payment is due September 30, and unless a similar bill passes the Senate and is signed by the President by then, the USPS must still make the full amount.

FedEx and the US Postal Service have partnered to allow FedEx customers to send packages back to retailers this holiday season via the USPS' Parcel Return Service. The agreement takes place as the agency attempts to diversify its revenue stream.