Email has made communicating much easier and cost effective for businesses and consumers. For businesses, there’s software tools available that make it very easy to take hard copy items, once mailed, on-line.  And while bills have always been mailed, many companies will give customers incentives for opting to receive these types of notices via the internet in an effort to reduce paper waste.  Yet, companies still need and rely on the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to help them deliver their message.  This week, Stamford based Pitney Bowes, a global leader in the mailing industry, released findings from a recent survey that looked at consumer attitudes toward mail and based on the findings, gave some recommended solutions for businesses to implement to reduce waste and increase profits when reaching out to customers and via the USPS.

Pitney Bowes, with additional operations in Shelton and Danbury, conducted a survey with DM News and found that consumers are very sensitive about getting mass mailings.  The results found in, “The Truth About Green”   show that a majority of the respondents,

• Think more than half of all municipal waste is mail (the actual figure is around 2 percent);
• Prefer companies that don’t send unwanted mail or mail without relevant information; and
• Think more highly of companies that use recycled paper and other green practices.

The white paper also makes some recommendations on how to be more efficient with the goal of lowing costs and increasing profits.  These measures include:

• Making sure not to send undeliverable mail, a goal achieved though rigorous data management. Ensuring addresses are accurate also helps the USPS, which spends $1.9 billion a year dealing with undeliverable mail;
• Sending only mailings that customers will find useful;
• Combining multiple mailings into one;
• The report also recommends using lighter paper with high post-consumer recycled content; and
• Look at reducing the environmental impact of delivery trucks, ink, employee activities and printing.

The USPS is also doing its part to support the findings of the Pitney Bowes white paper. The USPS’s Extreme Green Program, which is being showcased at this year’s National Postal Forum, will complement Pitney Bowes efforts.  In fact, on April 17 at Fairfield University, there will be an event that features:

Paul T. Robbertz, Vice President, Environmental Health & Safety at Pitney Bowes Inc. will discuss the Pitney Bowes’ white paper, The Truth about Green. Paul is also a member of the USPS Greening of the Mail Task Force and co-chair the Eco Standards and Certification of Mail Workgroup.

Mary Weber, Business Development, USPS Headquarters, will present the following topics all of which are part of the Extreme Green Program that is being showcased at this year’s National Postal Forum such as; Cradle to Cradle certification, USPS Take Back initiatives, live internet demonstration of USPS Green Page, Greening the Mail Task Force

Serenity Edwards, Director, Corporate Responsibility, Direct Marketing Association, Inc., who will present “The Green 15 Toolkit”, DMA’s manual which provides organizations with the building blocks to green their mailings.  The April 17 program is sponsored by CBIA and Fairfield County Connecticut Postal Customer Council. 

Want to learn more or register for this event, click here.

Source: greenbiz.com

Filed under: Green Attitudes, Green Business