Harvard University Mail and Distribution Services provide a wide range of delivery and print services to the Harvard Community. We have a number of initiatives as part of our day-to-day operations that support the sustainability goals of Campus Services and Harvard University, which help to reduce emissions and contribute to the achievement of the greenhouse gas reduction goals. Some of the initiatives in place at HUMS:

Vehicle Fleet

HUMS fleet includes a number of electric, hybrid and bio-diesel fueled vehicles. As of 2023, HUMS has two fully electric powered vans and one fully electric powered box truck in our fleet.

Mail and Delivery

• HUMS continuously evaluates delivery routes reducing redundancies and overlapping deliveries, thus reducing vehicle traffic and emissions.
• NCOA-Link (address cleansing service) is used to update address lists. These updates remove incorrect or outdated addresses from data-bases therefore eliminating undelivered mail pieces.
• HUMS provides information and support to Community members in the change-of-address process also reducing the amount of undelivered mail.
• HUMS has worked with the Green Campus Initiative to decrease the amount of unsolicited mailings to Harvard.
• HUMS recycles interoffice envelopes and stores a supply at our main facility. Departments do not have to order new envelopes. Requests for envelopes (or envelope removal) can be made to: hums@harvard.edu

Print Services

HUMS offers on demand print services, reducing the amount of unused and wasted paper supplies. Recycled paper is offered to customers and provided upon request.