News archive (2007)

Something unusual happened in 2007; Government suddenly took an interest in cutting back on junk mail. Its Waste Strategy included an idea for an opt-out scheme for unaddressed junk mail and even talked about forcing the junk mail industry to set up a central opt-in scheme for unsolicited mail.

The Direct Marketing Association realised encouraging people to recycle junk mail wasn't enough anymore. Junk mailers were encouraged to “respect the environment”, and work got underway for the Your Choice opt-out scheme (launched in 2008) and a new voluntary environmental standard for junk mail (PAS 2020, introduced in early 2009). Meanwhile, Royal Mail launched a 'carbon neutral' version of its door-to-door scheme.

Looking back it was a storm in a glass of water. The Your Choice scheme is arguably the least effective opt-out scheme ever, and junk mailers weren't at all interested in distributing carbon neutral leaflets. For the time being, though, it was enough to ward off Government intervention.

Junk mail news in 2007

Electoral roll opt-out hits 40%

19 December 2007 - The number of people opted-out of having their name and address included on the Edited Electoral Register has decreased by nearly 3%. About 40% of voters are now marked as 'opted out'.
95% of e-mail is spam

15 December 2007 - Junk e-mails, or spam, accounted for 90 to 95% of all e-mail in 2007, according to research by Barracuda Networks. The figure is up from an estimated 5% in 2001.
Public has strong views on junk mail from charities

24 November 2007 - Research by the Fundraising Standards Board has found the public has strong views on mailings from charities. In particular gifts and incentives enclosed with appeals do not go down well.
Defra calls for MPS notification on all direct mail

10 November 2007 - Defra, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, has urged the direct marketing industry to advertise the Mailing Preference Service on all direct mail.
Stop Junk Mail starts Go Dutch petition

6 November 2007 - Stop Junk Mail has started a petition calling on the Prime Minister to introduce an easy and effective system for opting out of receiving junk mail.
Artist creates junk mail sculpture

11 October 2007 - An artist inundated with junk mail is building a junk mail sculpture in her front garden. Once finished the 5ft tall art work will move to a gallery.
OFT stops South African prize draw scam

10 October 2007 - A South African prize draw promoter has given assurances to the Office of Fair Trading that it will no longer send misleading prize draw mailings to UK consumers.
Royal Mail to suspend junk mail deliveries in Yorkshire

27 September 2007 - Householders across York and North Yorkshire will see a huge drop in the amount of junk mail posted through the letterbox. The relief will only be temporary…
Junk e-mail overtakes junk mail

21 August 2007 - A study by the Direct Marketing Association's 'Email Marketing Council' has found that for the first time commercial e-mails have overtaken traditional direct mail.
Postman dumped and burned junk mail

20 August 2007 - A postman from Rock Ferry in Merseyside has been found guilty of dumping and incinerating junk mail. No normal mail has been burned or otherwise damaged.
Postmen loose job over delayed junk mail

23 July 2007 - Royal Mail has won an appeal against two postmen who last year won an unfair dismissal claim. The postmen had been sacked for not delivering junk mail on the day it was supposed to be delivered.
Leicester resident sets new junk mail record

22 July 2007 - A resident in Leicester has set a new junk mail record; by receiving no less than ten pieces of incorrectly addressed junk mail from a single company in less than two weeks time.
Royal Mail introduces green door-to-door scheme

16 July 2007 - Royal Mail has launched a 'carbon neutral' version of its door-to-door scheme. The company will 'carbon offset' door-drop campaigns that adhere to a number of environmental standards.
Wales looking to ban junk mail

30 June 2007 - Sustainability Minister Jane Davidson today announced Wales is considering banning junk mail. 'We want Wales to be a green country.'
Direct Marketing Association: 'respect the environment'

21 June 2007 - The Direct Marketing Association has urged marketers to consider the industry's impact on the environment and to address concerns that the industry is producing too much waste.
Postman sacked for not delivering junk mail

15 June 2007 - A Nottinghamshire postman who failed to deliver junk mail has been sacked. People his round said Royal Mail "over-reacted" and are calling for him to be reinstated.
Postman suspended for letting junk mail pile up

11 June 2007 - A postman in Buron Joyce, Nottinghamshire, has been suspended for not delivering junk mail. Local don't have a bad word to say of him.
Direct Marketing Association unhappy with waste strategy

26 May 2007 - The Direct Marketing Association has said that the government's new waste strategy is bad for the direct marketing industry, consumers and Royal Mail.
Government considering measures to reduce junk mail

24 May 2007 - The government yesterday announced its new waste strategy for England. The strategy outlines how the government hopes to reduce the amount of waste we produce as a nation - and includes ideas to cut junk mail.
Warwickshire goes junk mail free

17 April 2007 - A campaign organised by Warwickshire County Council has increased the number of people registered with the Mailing Preference Service in the county to nearly 25%.
Dorset unites against junk mail

25 March 2007 - Councils in Dorset have joined forces against junk mail. "Although recycling junk mail is better than binning it, the best option is not receiving it in the first place."
Less service, higher prices, more junk mail

28 February 2007 - Royal Mail wants to see an end to regulations covering franked letters and 'bulk mail'. The company is hoping to increase stamp prices while lowering prices for advertising mail.
Postwatch: Royal Mail should junk its scare tactics

6 February 2007 - Postwatch, the independent watchdog for postal services in the UK, has accused Royal Mail of using 'scare tactics' to deter people from stopping unaddressed junk mail distributed by the company.
East Sussex says no to junk mail

22 January 2007 - East Sussex County Council is hoping to cut back on waste by offering residents free 'No Junk Mail' stickers.
Local council puts stop to junk mail

16 January 2007 - Fylde Borough Council is taking steps to get rid off the hundreds of pieces of unsolicited junk mail it receives daily.
York Councillor causes junk mail controversy

8 January 2007 - The Liberal Democrat controlled council in York has run into trouble after a resident complained about junk mail being shoved through his letterbox - by the party's deputy leader.
A year's worth of junk mail

6 January 2007 - A resident of Christchurch, New Zealand, has collected a year's worth of junk mail. The stack he collected last year is 1.7m high and weighs 70kg.
Postal service 'worse than banks'

3 January 2007 - People are more unhappy with postal services than with banks, broadband providers and mobile phone companies, according to a 'Which' survey.