The Postal Service will now sort mail by shape, not just destination

The US Postal Service is changing how it sorts mail. It will now use the shape of letters, flats, and parcels to decide where they go next, in addition to their final destination. This means mail will be grouped more efficiently for local delivery centers, potentially speeding up processing.

For decades, the Postal Service sorted mail primarily by its final destination. This meant a local sorting facility might receive a mix of shapes and sizes for the same general area, requiring more handling. By sorting based on shape earlier in the process, the Postal Service can streamline operations at its local sorting centers, which could reduce labor costs and improve delivery times. This is a small but fundamental shift in how mail moves through the system.