Carbon-neutral shipping is now an option for select UPS customers. For a fee, the Atlanta-based shipping company will offset the carbon emitted from sending packages.

UPS is rolling out its carbon offset program for one million customers who ship within the United State via the internet. It says it will cancel out the carbon footprint of a package by funding certified green projects.

The fee is five cents for ground packages and 20 cents for air parcels. That includes the carbon offset itself and a calculating cost, says Lynette McIntire. She helps oversee sustainibility programs at UPS.

McIntire says UPS will double the customers impact to an extent. “What we’re hoping is that together with UPS matching up to a million dollars and with lots of people participating, it will have a big impact.”

She says the company will expand the service world-wide in a year and a half.

The flat fee doesn't apply to larger shippers. UPS offers them an audit service that determines their carbon impact, so they can then buy their own offsets.

Tags: UPS, United Parcel Service, carbon footprint, carbon off set