Recharger.com

'Green' Mailing Tips from Pitney Bowes

March 6, 2008

Recent “green” trends in the marketplace have motivated organizations of all sizes to seek and adopt business processes that are good for the planet. The “green wave” is also changing the nature of demand for services, equipment and solutions throughout the direct mailing industry. In a newly-published White Paper, Pitney Bowes offers a set of concrete suggestions to help mailers mitigate their environmental impact.

Titled “The Truth About Green,” the new White Paper is available on the Pitney Bowes website at www.pb.com/greenmail.

“Companies must come together to identify, analyze and act on direct mailing solutions that are relevant to customers in this new era of environmental consciousness,” said Murray Martin, President and Chief Executive Officer, Pitney Bowes Inc. “There are certain best practices that have already been identified to enable mailers to operate in a more sustainable manner. We need to engage with consumers and better communicate these practices while continuously expanding our stewardship efforts.”

The white paper includes the following advice for direct mailers who want to “green” the mailstream:

• Mandate the highest address quality standards to stop waste generated by mail with bad addresses. These mail pieces increase environmental impact and stagnate business operations, resulting in significant financial costs to mailers. Take advantage of address management software that matches addresses against databases with the most up-to-date information.
• Pay attention to paper stock and ask suppliers about using recycled paper. Choosing lighter weight paper also reduces the weight and bulk of a mailing, keeping costs at a minimum.
• Reduce the amount of unwanted mail with personalized messages to the recipient. When consumers receive relevant material, that mail piece is less likely to find its way to the trash. Leverage location intelligence capabilities, which enable mailers with the information they need to target the right customer.
• Consolidate mailings. When a company sends out three separate mailings to the same individual in the same week, three times the amount of resource consumption occurs. Combining multiple communications in a single envelope helps the environment and cuts down on postage costs.
• Design more efficient operations. Take active steps to reduce the amount of CO2 emissions associated with your mail operations. Manage your resource consumption and follow the mantra: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

“Changing customer expectations in the “green” marketplace are a call to action for the entire mailing industry. We need to step up our efforts and let customers know that their interest in protecting and conserving natural resources is aligned with ours,” said Martin. “We hope this white paper will be a good first step for companies that want to lower their carbon footprint.”