The DMA Inserts Council is taking the lead on the issue of environmental responsibility in insert marketing as the direct marketing industry is coming under increased governmental pressure to reduce paper-based marketing activity in the UK. The Council’s development of these best practice guidelines is the latest environmental initiative the DMA has undertaken to encourage environmental awareness and best practice among direct marketing practitioners.
Best environmental practice and the B2B inserts sector
Even without the adoption of environmental best practice standards, B2B inserts marketing is relatively environmentally friendly – especially compared to B2C. For example, the majority of B2B titles are mailed directly into the home, which means that wastage is minimal because there is not the opportunity for inserts to fall out of the publication before its reaches their targeted destination. B2B titles also tend to accept fewer inserts than B2C titles, making it a better targeted channel by providing more of an opportunity for cut-through for the advertiser.
On top the environmental benefits of using the B2B inserts channel, the Council’s best practice guidelines will help B2B marketers operate to the very highest standards of environmental best practice. These are some of the simple steps that B2B marketers can take to improve environmental performance:
Cultivate an environmentally-accredited supply chain
Where possible, only use suppliers that have environmental accreditation, such as the environmental management standard ISO:14001. All paper stock used should be obtained from sustainable sources. Look for specific recognised environmental accreditations, such as FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification). Deal with reputable sources to avoid buying illegally imported unaudited stock.
Reduce grammage of paper stock
Always ascertain the lowest possible weight available that does not compromise the quality and standard of the specified product design. Consulting with suppliers and checking with media owners on their specification for lowest permissible grammages will help you identify the most environmentally friendly alternatives.
Use printing press efficient sizes
On a technical note, most printing presses are designed around the A’ range of sizes, such as A4 and A5, in any pagination. Therefore, always check with your supplier to identify a size-efficient alternative to any specification whose dimensions are outside of the standard range of sizes.
Reduce overs and wastage
Media printers often specify that inserts suppliers provide three per cent of overs to be used as part of the machine set up and as running waste. However, three per cent of a run of 100,000 copies compared to three per cent of a run of 1,000,000 copies is vastly different. On larger print runs, the percentage of overs required can drop. Always check the number of overs the media owner requires and communicate this to your supplier for every job.
Recycle packaging and minimise use
Packaging generates a large amount of waste. Often excessive packaging is used as a matter of course, rather than as a matter of necessity. So, always assess the need for packaging by consulting with your suppliers. If packaging product is necessary, ensure that it is recyclable and institute a recycling process.
Minimise deliveries
Allow for enough time in the course of the campaign schedule to consolidate deliveries of inserts. Delivering in bulk can be crucial in cutting down the road miles racked up during the course of your campaign.
Reduce ink coverage
Minimising the amount of ink and specifying vegetable-based or alcohol-free inks helps to reduce energy usage during the insert printing process and results in a more environmentally friendly product. Being mindful of minimising ink usage on printing inserts can throw up some challenges, but these can incite ingenious creative design solutions.
The Inserts Council strongly recommends that recycling messages, such as Read, Respond, Recycle‘, appear on all paper-based marketing to encourage end receivers to manage the disposal of the inserts in an environmentally responsible manner. Where possible, inserts should also bear the logos of recognised environmental accreditations testifying that they have been produced to the highest environmental standards. It is critical that the industry understands its environmental responsibilities and promote its positive actions to businesses. The presence of these logos and recycling messages on each and every insert that finds its way to UK businesses would serve as a clear sign that the B2B inserts sector is acting responsibly.
The DMA Inserts Council, the arm of the Direct Marketing Association’s (DMA) which represents the interests of its members involved with the inserts process, has recently developed and published a set of environmental best practice guidelines for marketers spanning the B2B, B2C and third-party sub-sectors, on how best to plan a green inserts campaign.
Addressing environmental issues has long been top of the DMA Inserts Council’s agenda. The Inserts Council is now focusing its efforts on ensuring that the DMA’s members understand and adopt its standards of best environmental practice to help them meet their corporate and social responsibility targets. The Council’s Environmental Best Practice Guidelines, which is aimed at clients and agencies, is currently a standalone document, but it will complement PAS 2020, the direct marketing environmental standard that the DMA is developing in conjunction with the British Standards Institute.
The Council’s Environmental Best Practice Guidelines document can be downloaded from its website: http://www.inserts.dma.org.uk/
