Zumbox: The Green Wave of the Future?

Zumbox. Not to be confused with Zumba. Or Roomba.

Zumbox bills itself as the “Alternative Postal System.” Its basic premise is this:

Zumbox delivers paperless mail online – from street address to street address. What used to only be sent as paper mail can now be sent without the paper. How? We’ve created a nationwide paperless postal system with a Zumbox for every street address in the United States, including yours.

Pseudo-environmentalist that I am, the idea of reducing my household paper waste is appealing. There are many things I receive in the mail without opening them: credit card offers, solicitations from cable television companies, and (did I mention?) credit card offers. If I could receive these unwanted docs in an electronic format, approximately 1.5 pounds (maybe more) of paper per week could go unwasted. This is to say nothing of the “wanted” mail, such as bills, which I look at long enough to write a check before tossing into the recycling bin.

Here are the pros and cons of Zumbox, as I see it:

Pro: Snail mail is becoming expensive: 44 cents for a 1 oz. letter! Zumbox is free for individuals and “qualified” (whatever that means) businesses and organizations.

Con: Advertisers and Marketers spend only $.05 per street address, with discounts for large volumes. This means I will receive even more credit card offers. On the flipside, it will be cheaper for local businesses such as Ramunto’s or the Alpine Shop to send targeted messages to community members about sales or other events, thereby boosting business.

Pro: It reduces paper waste.

Con: It’s one more thing to check: e-mail, Facebook, RSS Feeds, Twitter, MiddBlog, Yammer, etc.

Pro: If you want to send mail to a neighbor, for example, you only need to know his or her mailing address instead of his or her e-mail address.

Con: Said neighbor needs to have signed up for Zumbox.

General Con: Zumbox needs to establish quickly a critical mass. Businesses may be less inclined to sign-on to send bills or advertisements if most of their customers (or would-be customers) are not members. Likewise, individuals may be less inclined to sign-on if it is unlikely they can receive their bills, letters from from friends, etc. in an electronic format.

Cons aside, I have signed up for Zumbox because I do have concerns about the environmental impact of the paper industry (air and water pollution, energy consumption [both for production and recycling], and solid waste). Nearly five years ago, Facebook was a fledgling site few people knew about, but look at it now: it has revolutionized the way many of us virtually communicate and interact with others. Zumbox could change our postal system, or it could be bust.

MiddBlog Wants to Know: My list of pros and cons could go on. Can you think of any others? Do you plan to sign up?