The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) has committed to cut the physical waste and carbon emissions from the DM industry over the next three years.
The commitment has been set out in a new Voluntary Producer Responsibility (VPR) deal, part of the Governments low-carbon economy strategy. The DMA signed an agreement with Defra to increase the use of suppression files by 25 per cent.
While the agreement will mainly effect B2C marketers, it will act as a remainder for B2B marketers to use direct mail responsibly and effectively.
Commenting on the agreement, Chris Combemale, executive director of the DMA, said, “As the representative of the direct marketing industry, the DMA has negotiated a new VPR deal with Government that’s mutually beneficial. The deal will not only help in delivering the Government’s objectives of moving towards a zero-waste society and reducing carbon emissions, but also lead to higher standards in direct marketing. The key theme is ‘doing it better’ – by reducing unnecessary direct marketing and making sure that what’s produced meets a specification that minimises the impact on the environment.”
