Direct marketing material waste prevention report on industry performance 2009

Back in 2003, the direct marketing industry agreed to meet tough voluntary recycling targets, set in conjunction with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

The 2009 Royal Mail and DMA report reveals that the direct marketing industry has not only beaten its recycling target for 2009 but also exceeded the goal set for 2013.

The sector has tackled recycling head on through a combination of education, better targeting, greater availability of kerbside recycling facilities, and initiatives such as PAS 2020 and Sustainable® Mail. The result has been a dramatic fall in the quantity of marketing material entering landfill.

The report's key findings include:

•  76.5% of direct marketing material is now recycled – well ahead of the 2009 target of 55% and beating the 2013 target of 70%. When central-location recycling is factored in, the figure rises to 79.5%.

•  Absolute volumes of direct marketing material have fallen sharply since 2003.

•  Levels of domestic recycling have more than trebled reflecting a significant change in UK consumer behaviour.

•  Paper recycling is now a widespread practice in many businesses.

The report also examines the increased use of consumer opt-out schemes such as the Mailing Preference Service and the DMA's door drop opt-out scheme.