Swiss Postal Service brings snail mail online

The Swiss Postal Service has started a new service called Swiss Post Box which allows Swiss citizens to receive their regular snail mail via email. The result of a partnership with a startup called Earth Class Mail.

Subscribers to the service will have the outer packaging and envelopes of their mail scanned and forwarded via e-mail. They can then decide whether to recycle the junk mail, request that it be physically forwarded to them, or to have it opened and the contents scanned.

Documents will be processed in the same facilities as those used by the Swiss Post to handle sensitive banking materials, and the service is available for about $18.35 per month. Addresses can be set up in Germany as well and additional addresses in Austria, France and Italy coming by the end of this month.

Personally, it never ceases to amaze me just how much junk mail makes it through to my physical mailbox whenever I clear out the office trash. Having such a convenient way to recycle it is surely a boon to those among us who are more environmentally conscious. Of course, another advantage of scanning physical mail into email would be the accessibility of being able to check one's mail from anywhere in the world. Would you pay for this service?

For more on this story:
- check out this article at Ars Technica

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