News
Royal Mail prompts business customers to go green
Royal Mail is encouraging businesses and organisations to target their unaddressed direct mail campaigns more effectively, stop using polywrap and use vegetable inks as part of a new green initiative.
The Direct Marketing Association (DMA), which is set to launch a similar "more in-depth" green guide for the direct marketing industry this month, said it believes Royal Mail will shortly follow up the campaign with guidance for addressed mail.
Companies taking part in Royal Mail's new 'Carbon Neutral Door to Door scheme' will have to use paper with a minimum of 50% recycled content, and all virgin paper must be Chain of Custody accredited.
In addition, packaging must first be reduced and then made from recycled, recyclable or reusable materials, windows should be omitted from campaign envelopes and cleaner varnishes should be used.
After carbon has been minimised through these measures, Royal Mail will then pay to offset any remaining carbon footprint through schemes such as the Woodland Trust's Carbon Plus+ programme, which plants native trees in the UK.
A spokesperson for the company said he expected the costs of this to amount to "a couple of million".
Companies will also be asked to include the Waste and Resources Action Programme's 'Recycle Now' logo to encourage environmentally friendly disposal.
Ross Drake, general manager of Royal Mail's unaddressed service, Door to Door, said: "We are in an ideal position to lead change in the direct mail industry and are prepared to spend money to incentivise our customers to make their unaddressed mailings carbon neutral. And all this can be done without compromising the quality of a campaign.
"Businesses' commitment to reducing the impact of their operations on the environment is growing and this includes their marketing and advertising activities."
The delivery giant, which offers its own printing services and advice on planning online marketing campaigns, said it expects businesses and organisations that adhere to the rules to start using the carbon neutral logo from September.
Robert Keitch, director of media channel development at the DMA said: "We've been consulted on this all the way through. I'm really pleased Royal Mail is giving customers something to better their environmental impact. It's good for the public to see something real and tangible."
He added that he thought Royal Mail would unleash the green initiatives in "bite-sized chunks". He said: "We know they are looking at addressed mail too and we expect this to be followed up fairly shortly."
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Royal Mail: pushing for carbon neutrality
Comments
RON O'MEARA - 20 July 2007
As a responsible mailer, we have investigated the use of various plastics to use when wrapping magazines and journals, and having taken a keen interest in what is available and what is being used, it seems evident that many publishers or mailing houses are being very economical with the truth.
The strapline which seems popular now is
"This polythene is distributed using environmentally friendly wrap"
What does this mean?
Everything is degradable eventually, but most plastic wrap will take centuries to biodegrade,so this statement is obviously meant to deceive the end user.
Biodegradation is the process by which organic substances are broken down by living organisms. Biobegradable plastics will therefore decompose in a natural envioronment.
Therfore all of the usual plastic filnm currently being used is NOT biodegradable and it's false to say that it is.
However, we have just started to offer COMPOSTABLE film made from inedible potato starch which WILL degrade within a few weeks and we have had some very positive feedback from clients and prospects alike. Of course the main obstacle is the price, but this will come down once it becomes more widely used.
The main point is to be honest and up front with the public and not try to fudge the issues for the sake of a quick buck.
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