News

Online postal service ViaPost, due to roll out in early December, has attracted the attentions of direct mail printers.

The initiative, which could cut a letter's carbon footprint by 75% and involves Royal Mail and Microsoft, allows users to send files direct from their computer to a local production site before being delivered by Royal Mail.

ViaPost chief executive Simon Campbell told printweek.com: "The benefit to printers is that each roll-out will be quick and we can tell the printer from the off that we will fill their capacity to, say, 50% or however much they can provide us with."

Campbell claimed that "over 100m litres of diesel" could be saved each year under the scheme, with overseas expansion further bolstering the green angle.

"If someone from China wants to send a letter to the UK using ViaPost, you are cutting out the air miles, which provides a massive saving."

ViaPost has already forecasted sending "10m items" per week based on registrations of interest to its trial website.

The service will launch with eight distribution sites in "high-volume" areas, such as London, with plans to increase this to 25 as the scheme builds momentum.

ViaPost upholds confidentiality by employing "industrial closed processes" when printing and processing the letters.

"We are using HP Indigo and Xerox iGen3 machines and Pitney Bowes folders. The levels of security are very high," said Campbell.

The service is due to launch in time for the Christmas rush.