The Complex Question of Do Not Mail Registries

You may be all too familiar with the sinking feeling you get after, in anticipation of a personal letter or package, you open the mailbox only to find unsolicited bulk mail. There they sit:   pre-approved credit card applications, shopping circulars, clothing catalogs and colorful restaurant menus. Without much thought, these items can trigger immediate reactions of, “Think of how many trees were wasted for this!” and “These companies are so selfish!”

Many caring, passionate people have assumed that Do Not Mail registries are a good idea since they aim to reduce the use of paper, which in turn would protect Earth’s quickly-dwindling natural resources. Although there may be some truth to this, it does not capture the complexity of the issue.

For example, imagine the devastating effects of broad Do Not Mail bills on jobs and small businesses (particularly during a down economy). And the option of doing business online of course requires the use of servers powered with energy from coal.

The Direct Marketing Association has gathered an impressive array of statistics pointing to the long-lasting effects of adopting Do Not Mail registries. Consider the following:

• Lots of small businesses rely on direct mail since it is a cost-effective way for them to advertise locally. Since businesses are already hurting due to the economic slowdown, depriving them of a key means of advertising could result in further loss of business — and jobs.
• Do Not Mail will result in a loss of jobs that will have a ripple effect, from the designer who designs printed pieces to the printer who prints them to the mail carrier that delivers them.
• Small businesses produce between 60 to 80 percent of all new jobs. Many U. S. businesses relied on local mail advertising campaigns that helped them to grow and eventually employ hundreds or even thousands. Today’s start-up business could be tomorrow’s Cliff Bar, Annie’s Natural or New Leaf Paper.

In 2008, 12 state legislatures, including California, Connecticut, Florida, New York, Washington and New Jersey, had Do Not Mail bills under consideration. Since then, two bills were introduced and one major U.S. city was considering a non-binding resolution. Yet it’s clear that sweeping legislation to ban bulk mailing is not in-line with principles of a green economy.

So if Do Not Mail registries do not provide an environmentally AND socially sustainable solution, where do we go from here?

For a start, thousands of concerned citizens are helping environmental organizations work collaboratively with for-profits to green their direct mail practices. Since 2006, ForestEthics has been creating “transformation through collaboration” in the office supply industry and with large corporations like FedEx, Crate&Barrel, and Victoria’s Secret. As an individual, you could get involved with ForestEthics and others to pressure big corporations to green their printing practices.

If you are responsible for the printing decisions at your company, own a home-based business or are planning a wedding (or know someone who is), one of the most powerful actions you can take is to support the mission of sustainable printers like Greenerprinter. It it far better to explore more eco-friendly options rather than trying to stop direct mail altogether.

By supporting green printing, direct mail can be done in an environmentally responsible way while preserving jobs today and creating new jobs tomorrow.