Not Enough Mail, So Finland's Postal Service Will Mow Lawns

The USPS isn't the only woebegone postal service. Things are bad enough in Finland that the state-owned Posti is getting into ... lawn care. Under the new program, which begins next month, postal workers will mow residents' lawns each Tuesday, when mail volumes are typically lower, broadcaster Yle reports. Interested Finns can go online to order the service, which will run from May 17 through August. A weekly 30-minute cut will cost about $74 a month, and homeowners must provide the mower. In a press release, Posti head Anu Punola says she anticipates that people will be "happy to outsource lawn mowing," adding that the idea came from the mail carriers themselves. Last year, Posti reported losses of about $85 million, per the Atlantic, with delivery volumes down to 1960s levels.

Nonetheless, Posti says, mail service is provided to 2.8 million households and "new home services will see it transform increasingly into a service company." Indeed, the Atlantic notes Posti launched a 12-month pilot program in February where, in partnership with a health-services company, postal workers will visit the homes of people with disabilities and do light chores, like warming up meals and helping with eating. "Posti's network of professionals reaches both densely and sparsely populated areas every weekday," points out a press release. As for the mowing, some are grumbling. The BBC reports a group that represents property maintenance companies is concerned postal workers don't have the "expertise" to operate lawnmowers, adding, "It is hard to believe that just anyone can start to cut lawns." (More Finland stories.)