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Catalogue Exchange
Catalogue Exchange
Have you tried
going naked?
By Tim Curtis
e’ve been mailing the Lands’ Recyclability
•
ensure that at least 95 percent of the mailing
W
End catalogue naked— You don’t have to mail your catalogue naked to pieces are fully addressed and postcoded in
without polywrapping—for meet this criterion, but you will need to ensure accordance with PAF.
as long as any of us can that your mailing is recyclable in its entirety,
remember. But last year so that it can be easily collected through local Sustainability
we needed to bundle a sale kerbside collections. That means no plastic Most mills and mailing houses are already
catalogue with a full price catalogue and envelopes/polywrap, no brown paper or capable of meeting these standards, and you
decided it made more sense to use polywrap brown-paper envelopes (including manila), no should not have to pay a premium. To achieve
rather than bind the two together, as is our laminate fi nishes, and less than 90-percent ink the entry-level standard, you need to
usual practice. coverage. You’ll also need to print a statement
•
use paper containing recycled fi bre from
It’s probably the worst mistake I have made and/or logo (such as “Recycle Now”) on the recovered waste paper and/or virgin fi bre
at Lands’ End, based on the post I received outside of the mailing to encourage recycling. sourced under a certifi ed chain of custody
from irate customers and the mailing’s poorer To meet the intermediate-level spec, you conforming to a scheme approved by Defra/
response rate. Our customers really appreciate must avoid ultraviolet varnish fi nishes, brown Conference of European Posts and Telegraphs.
not having to deal with poly, which few councils cardboard, and rubber-based adhesives as well.
•
use paper produced free of nonchlorinating
have recycling facilities for, and they didn’t bleaching methods.
hesitate to tell me so. Improved targeting
•
use paper sourced from mills that operate
In my own household, polywrapped To achieve the entry-level standard, you must an environmental management system
catalogues tend to be put to one side for
•
have a documented procedure for suppressing conforming to BS EN ISO 14001 and/or the
opening later. That doesn’t stop us eventually non-house-fi le customer and prospect data Eco-Management and Audit Scheme.
ordering from the businesses we know and against the Mailing Preference Service (MPS),
•
work with printers, mailing houses,
love, but catalogues from new and untested including MPS Deceased, and check fi les or in-house mailing facilities with 1) a
businesses are too often only unwrapped at the within 30 days of handover to Royal Mail. documented commitment to environmental
point of loading the paper recycling bin.
•
maintain an internal suppression fi le to management and a baseline for environmental
Of course there are a few downsides to ensure that those who request to opt out of performance; 2) environmental standards,
going naked. Catalogues can get wet and arrive your mailings are properly logged, and check codes of practice and/or guidance, and
in less than pristine condition. You cannot these data within 30 days of handover to Royal controls in place to ensure compliance to
include inserts, which might be a source Mail. them; and 3) developed environmental
of revenue. You lose some fl exibility—for
•
ensure that at least 90 percent of mailing objectives, targets, and programmes.
example, to add vouchers or last-minute pieces are fully addressed and postcoded in To reach the intermediate level you also
communications—because everything has to be accordance with Postal Address Format (PAF). need to ensure that your printers, mailing
bound into the book. But overall, it has to be For the intermediate level, you must also houses, or in-house mailing facilities have an
worth a try, doesn’t it?
•
check customer and prospect data against environmental management system conforming
Especially as Royal Mail, since 6th April, one or more commercially available deceased to BS EN ISO 14001.
has been offering lower prices if your mailings and gone-away suppression fi les within 30 If all this sounds a bit scary, Royal Mail is very
conform to good environmental practices, days of handover to Royal Mail. supportive. Speak with your account handler for
namely recyclability, better targeting, and the
•
ensure that each mail piece makes it clear how advice and options.
use of sustainable resources. You can save up to the addressee can opt out of future mailings.
2 percent if you meet the entry-level standard
•
record any pieces returned from previous
Catalogue Exchange advisory
and up to 4.7 percent for the intermediate mailings as deceased, gone-away, or opting
level. Let’s look at these three criteria a little out, and remove these customers from future
board member Tim Curtis is
more closely. mailing lists within three months of receipt. managing director of Lands’ End.
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Catalogue e-business www.catalog-biz.com
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