How to meet Defra’s new direct mail requirements
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) have recently taken steps to address a number of issues in relation to direct mail. Collectively they want to see standards improved, for the benefit of both the direct mail industry and its audience – with environmental issues at the forefront of these changes.
Within this they have set a number of challenges to the marketing sector including:
Reducing waste across the entire direct mail marketing process
Improving production and distribution to ensure it is as sustainable as possible
Using recycled materials for all direct mail and encouraging recipients to recycle the mail shot when they have finished with it
So, what should marketers be doing to meet these guidelines?
1) Distribution
Ensure that distribution lists are as relevant and up-to-date as possible. This will avoid mailing people who, for example, are no longer at a specific address or have left their jobs. Ultimately this cuts waste but it can also improve ROI as it delivers much more appropriately targeted delivery.
Marketers should also implement the most sustainable mailing system available in a bid to making distribution greener. Choosing companies that meet the PAS2020: Direct Marketing Environmental Performance Specification will help to do this. This was produced especially for the direct marketing industry and provides environmental guidelines and objectives to companies that are running direct mail campaigns. PAS 20:20 can be given to any organisation that is part of the Direct Mail process and is accredited by BSI Group.
2) Printing
Where possible businesses should be using a printer with the best green credentials possible. There are a large number of different elements to a printer’s sustainability policy and some are more important than others. Always pick a printer who has a clear commitment to the environment. To help you find the right one, look out for their accreditations; the printer should operate an environmental management system, which is at least certified to ISO 14001. Certification to the EMAS is even better, as it’s considered the ‘gold standard’. A sustainable printer will also hold Forest Stewardship Council ® Chain of Custody accreditation, and will measure, reduce and minimise their carbon emissions. Furthermore they will have a responsible paper purchasing policy, and will have won awards and recognition for their environmental care.
3) Paper
Make sure that you choose a paper that has a recycled content between 50-100%. The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs has recently set even more stringent criteria for the use of recycled papers, which aim to reduce the amount of paper sent to landfill or incineration as well as the amount of virgin fibre used. The underlying goal of which is to reduce the volumes of tress used in paper production.
Printing on recycled paper also helps to communicate brand values and the quality and variety available means that there are suitable stocks for any purpose. That goes for annual reports, catalogues and mailers as well as direct mail. Recycled papers available on the market can now take a variety of shades and thicknesses. Research from Arjowiggins Graphic, shows 64% of respondents believe that using sustainable papers portrays the company in a positive light – so choosing a paper that matches up to a companies brand values is hugely important.
4) Print volumes
By using a web-based print on demand service you will save storage space and reduce waste. Previously print runs had to be set to a specific amount and economies of scale meant that it was often much cheaper to produce large amounts of printed materials. Now it is the possible to use digital and web based print services to allow companies to produce documents on demand at a competitive cost. This means that a business can choose just the right number of prints that they need and can request more whenever the need arises.
5) Recycling and sustainability
The best way to encourage recycling is to make sure that you promote it on the printed materials that you produce. This includes carrying the appropriate kite marks from sustainable organisations and asking people who receive your materials to recycle them once they are done with them. Promoting your commitment to the environment is also key, for example, Arjowiggins Graphic, has developed a device to be printed on marketing materials, which can be customised for any print job and demonstrates the environmental savings made by choosing recycled paper.
The free, bespoke Environmental Benefit Statement (EBS), from Arjwiggins Graphic, shows – in a clear and visual manner – the savings made by choosing to print on recycled papers, over virgin fibre stocks. The EBS, which can be made on the Environmental Benefit Statement page, can be included in corporate documents, annual reports and promotional literature to aid companies in highlighting their CSR commitments in an open and transparent way.
With the latest figures from the Internet Advertising Bureau showing that direct marketing accounts for 10% of marketing spending, direct mail will undoubtedly continue to provide a real world touch point for brands and consumers in the face of an expanding sea of digital communication. The challenge being set by the government is to provide mail that is suitably targeted, meets high environmental standards and can provide a good ROI.
The above can be attributed to Shannan Hodgson, Corporate Affairs Manager at Arjowiggins Graphic.