Nurturing Sustainability in Direct Mail Marketing

Nurturing Sustainability in Direct Mail Marketing

In a world where caring for our environment matters more than ever, placing a deliberate focus on sustainability is becoming essential for businesses.

With 4 out of 5 people describing themselves as more likely to engage with businesses that have a positive approach to environmental sustainability, carbon-consciousness is an essential consideration when deciding upon which marketing mediums to use. As direct mail still boasts a staggering 95% engagement rate, we know it is an integral part of our marketing mix, but how can we make our mail more sustainable?

Here, we offer some helpful guidance to ensure your direct marketing mail can be both a sustainable and highly effective.

1. Choose Sustainable Paper

Opting for recycled and responsibly sourced paper is a great way to improve the sustainability of your direct mail, and a fantastic investment to advertise your company’s commitment to sustainability to your consumers.

Do you know if the paper you are using in your direct mail marketing is certified?  Here’s a summary of some of the major sustainable paper sources and carbon balancing schemes.

Other UK government approved certification schemes for sustainable and legal timber include:

• -Canadian Standards Association (CSA)
• -Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC)
• -Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI)

TOP TIP: Including these organisations’ logos in your designs will help make customers aware that your company takes its environmental responsibilities seriously when they receive your direct mail.

Our Citipost Print services team will be able to advise you of the most appropriate and sustainable standards for your marketing mail. Get in touch through clicking the image below.

2. Ensure that you have Clean Data

Do you have certainty in the recipients of your direct mail? Is your mailing list clean and up to date?

Having clean data is a highly effective yet simple way to save you money on your marketing campaign and reduce waste.

At Citipost Mail, we are currently offering a free data health check on your marketing mail data through our Pure Data product. The health check uses the UK’s largest and most inclusive suppression suite to check your marketing data, providing you with a full report on the number of addresses in your data set that need to be removed and why.​​​ Claim your free data health check here:

3. Think About Ink (and other materials)! Are You Designing to Reduce Waste?

During the design phase of your marketing campaign, being deliberate in creating designs that are not only visually appealing but also environmentally conscious is essential. Some of the key questions to consider are:

• Have you ensured excess packaging has been reduced? Is your packaging recyclable or biodegradable?
• Is the amount of ink used appropriate? Could you reduce ink density? Have you asked your printer about biodegradable ink?
• Is the weight/size of your mailing economical, without reducing the impact of your marketing?

Our Citipost Creative team would love to support you with your marketing mail designs to help you reach your sustainability and creative impact goals.

4. Highlight the Recyclability of your Direct Mail Marketing

Material selection plays a crucial role in determining the recyclability of your mailer – the less plastic involved, the better! Always consult your printer if you have any uncertainties regarding proposed techniques like adhesives, coatings, laminates, and foils, as these factors can impact the recyclability of your mail.

It is equally important to actively encourage your customers to recycle once they’ve utilised your marketing mail. Recognisable symbols indicating recyclability can be prominently displayed on your marketing pack to remind your customers to recycle it once it has been utilised. Surprisingly, polywrap mailings and envelopes with windows are also currently recyclable; displaying recycling symbols on these items ensures your customers are aware of this.

Citipost Mail takes its commitment to environmental responsibility seriously by being a carbon-neutral business. This dedication reflects their proactive efforts to minimize their ecological footprint and contribute to a more sustainable future. By choosing sustainable materials, designing with the environment in mind, emphasizing reusability, and educating recipients, we can collectively transition towards a more sustainable future for direct mail.

Sources:

• [1] – Royal Mail – Market Reach-  Sustainability Guide