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| Print/Mail Center Management Tips |
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July 2008
Greetings!
UPDATE - THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF MAIL
A few months ago this newsletter discussed some perceptions consumers had about the impact of direct mail on the environment. The source of the information was a survey conducted by Pitney Bowes and DM News Magazine. One of the things that was obvious from looking at the survey and accompanying article was that we needed better data. Information that was available to the USPS, mailing trade associations, and to concerned environmental groups was incomplete. Mailers and proponents of do-not-mail legislation were making statements that were difficult to substantiate with facts. You can find a copy of January's newsletter on this subject in our archives, available at our website. Click here then scroll to the bottom of the page and click the archive link. A new study by Pitney Bowes has been released. You can download the document by clicking here. The report is extensive - it's 30 pages long and includes analysis and comparison of various previously- published studies done by organizations across the globe. Much of the information comes from Europe where it seems there has been more research work done on this topic. It's fascinating reading. I recommend that you at least skim through the document, even if you don't have time to go through the whole thing. Determining the environmental impact of physical or electronic mail is an incredibly complex task. On the surface, some of the environmental arguments make sense: Direct mail requires the manufacturing, delivery, and disposal of paper; paper comes from trees; trees remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and replace it with oxygen; therefore reducing direct mail will result in cleaner air and more trees.
As you well know, it's not so simple. The study points
out that we humans have been doing pretty well at
managing the renewable tree supply. We're also not
doing so badly at recycling paper and re-using it to
produce direct-mail pieces.
Furthermore, the benefits of recycling can be
increased without a huge investment in additional
technology or infrastructure. But take a look at all the
steps that are identified in the cradle-to-cradle
workflow of direct mail, starting with a tree. It's easy to
see why it is impossible to distill all those steps down
to a single carbon footprint. There are just too many
variables.
The Pitney Bowes study didn't try to sway the opinion one way or another. In fact, the report pointed out that the only possible comparison could be with isolated cases and that the most favorable environmental impact could easily swing back and forth between paper mail and electronic. There are also lots of examples where electronic mail gets printed by the recipient or prompts the creation of follow-up physical mail and vice versa, blurring the line that distinguishes one communication method from the other. What the research paper did point out was that there are several studies now underway that will help us get a better handle on the impact of mail through the whole cycle. We will have more reliable data which can be used to determine the best course of action when more of these studies are complete. In the meantime, we can all certainly start some projects that will undoubtedly lead to a positive environmental influence from the mail we each produce. For most readers of this newsletter, this may mean stepping up list hygiene efforts to make sure addresses are deliverable and minimizing the effort required by the USPS to forward them, or eliminating unnecessary mail altogether such as closed accounts, duplicates, etc. Some organizations may change document formats by reducing font sizes, providing only summary data unless otherwise requested, shrinking margins to reduce page counts or converting letters to postcards. Others will change document production schedules to allow for the combining of documents and householding, thereby mailing a single envelope instead of multiple ones to the same address all in the same week. There are lots of things that can be done that will make your operation greener - both environmentally and financially. Take a few minutes to browse through the latest Pitney Bowes research. And then sit back and think about what you can do to lower the impact your own company makes on the planet's environment. You must be willing to challenge lots of things that seem to be set in stone. Most managers can identify at least a few things that will make a difference. But many don't ever seem to have the time to execute the plan. Now might be a good opportunity. Start a project yourself, appoint someone else, or get some help. You may be surprised at all the benefits from getting greener!
Did you miss a newsletter? Sincerely,  Mike Porter
Print/Mail Consultants
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