Discussions between the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the paper and printing industries, the Royal Mail and local authorities led to agreed recycling targets for junk mail.
Members of the DMA, one of the largest trade associations in the European marketing and communications sector, agreed to increase the junk mail recycling rate from 13% to 30% by the of end of 2005 and 70% by the end of 2013 (see letsrecycle.com story).
But commenting on the agreement, Norman Baker MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary, said: “While this agreement appears to be a step in the right direction, it is difficult not to be sceptical given the sheer enormity of the problem. There must be some element of compulsion to ensure that the junk mail companies keep their side of the deal.”
The Liberal Democrats said that almost a quarter of Europe's recorded junk mail is sent in the UK, and the amount of junk mail in this country has doubled since 1990.
Mr Baker said: “The test of this agreement between DEFRA and the Direct Marketing Association will be whether or not the government succeeds in reducing the amount of waste created by direct mailing.”
The agreement between the government and the DMA will involve the junk mail industry setting up systems to increase the collection and recycling of its marketing materials, targeting its promotions with more care, and publicising the ways consumers can cut down on the amount of junk mail they receive, such as through the Mailing Preference Service.
Leadership
But the Liberal Democrats said that the government should be leading the way in promoting initiatives like the Mailing Preference Service, which allows consumers to remove their names from direct marketing lists free of charge.
Mr Baker said: “The government accepts that the ‘four Rs’ approach to waste reduction (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover) is the most effective, but has failed to explore the first two steps. DEFRA should be promoting the Mailing Preference Service, which blocks junk mail leading to an automatic reduction in waste.”
The Liberals' Shadow Environment Secretary said that a national doorstep recycling system should be put in place to deal with the increasing amount of junk mail going to landfill in the UK.
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