Cluster mailboxes are commercial mailboxes that provide a secure and centralised location for receiving mails.
A property containing several homes, apartments, condominiums, or businesses may utilise a community mail station (Neighborhood Delivery Collection Box Unit). These units have multiple compartments for the centralised delivery of mail to the residents of a building or an entire neighbourhood, instead of door-to-door or curbside delivery. A parcel locker for receipt of packages and a separate compartment for outgoing mail are usually built into the station. The mail carrier has a key to a large door on one side that reaches all the compartments and the residents or tenants each have a key to the door into their individual compartment on the other side.
Every Cluster Mailbox, also known as a Cluster Box Unit may be ordered in different sizes and configurations, is free standing, and is able to receive parcels in the special parcel doors.
Recently, the US Postal Service and Canada Post have engendered controversy by aggressively promoting community mail stations or cluster box installations in new suburban developments and some urban and rural areas as well. KopparStaden AB, a housing cooperative in Falun, Sweden, has begun to install centralised mail stations with individual post boxes using electronically-operated doors in its buildings.
Moreover, the universities’ post office uses the centralised mail service. Thousands of centralised mail boxes have been created in centralised location to expedite mail delivery to residence students. These mail boxes are assigned to students by the Office of Housing and Residence Life.
