DMA Focus: Comment - Is there a need for a green agenda in direct marketing?

Marketing Direct 07-Dec-06

No one should underestimate the importance of the environmental risk that businesses now face. Earlier this year, a Guardian/ICM poll revealed that 63 per cent of people would support a 'green tax' discouraging behaviour that harms the environment.

Perhaps more worryingly, 51 per cent claimed that they or their family
have already boycotted a company because its products damage the
environment. And with local authorities under pressure to reduce

landfill and looking to introduce their own green taxes, there will be

even greater pressures on industries and businesses associated with
causing household waste to clean up their act.

Any business can take action now. There is an emerging carbon
management industry, helping businesses to reduce their carbon
footprint. It is based on a very straightforward environmental concept:
evaluate your impact, minimise as much as possible and then offset the
rest.

All of these are sensible steps towards achieving a green DM industry
and all of us should be embracing them and recognising the potential to
go further. The DMA puts it more succinctly: 'Is it green going out, is
it green coming back and do you have a corporate social responsibility
(CSR) strategy?' These are the fundamental questions behind an
'environmental package' aimed at helping the industry to achieve its
target of increasing recycled direct mail to a minimum of 55 per cent
by 2009.

We narrowly missed our target of 30 per cent by the end of 2005,
showing just how testing 2009 could prove to be. We have the
opportunity to control our destiny. If we do not take it, control could
be wrested away, and even though direct mail only accounts for 2 per
cent of household waste, consumer and media pressures could result in
political measures. Now is the time to assess your green credentials
before others assess them for you.