I am Pete Rossato, and I manage the recycling department at TRICO Opportunities Inc. in Kingsford.

The reason for this editorial is that TRICO has been trying to acquire the undeliverable mail from the U.S. Postal Service office facility in Kingsford that is located next door to TRICO.

For many years, TRICO picked up these materials from the Kingsford facility, along with other outlying post offices within our area. Throughout the years, the U.S. Postal Service has changed their processes frequently and, as of 2017, has not recycled these materials through TRICO.

As of this time, all of the undeliverable mail from our local area post offices are brought back to the Kingsford facility, then shipped downstate to another post office where it is then sent on to a recycling facility downstate. For the past several years, TRICO has sought to get that material once again.

It was explained to the USPS that we would be willing to pick the materials up free of charge to the USPS. The response given to us has been that “the Kingsford facility is not a recycling facility,” therefore does not take care of their own undeliverable materials.

We have reached out to the USPS both locally and to the Postmaster General regarding this, and also contacted state and federal senators, along with members of the House of Representatives to inquire on our behalf.

The material would benefit us, as it would provide work for people within our program that otherwise wouldn’t be employed in the community without additional supports, and the proceeds help continue funding our various programs at TRICO.

I urge you to reach out to our politicians and to the USPS to help us once again be able to process this material here at TRICO.

Seeing the post office has been losing money for a long time, it only makes sense to have a local organization pick it up free of charge for the them, and that would benefit both organizations.