Royal Mail has announced it is hoping to launch a 'green' bulk mail service from April this year. It's 'Sustainable Mail' product has yet to be approved by Postcomm.

The Sustainable Mail service will offer bulk mailers a discount on the distribution of mail shots that comply with PAS 2020 standard, a new voluntary industry code aimed at reducing the environmental impact of junk mail.

It is not yet certain that the service will be launched. Postcomm, the independent regulator for postal services in the UK, is currently examining the impact of the new service on customers and competition and will be holding a consultation on Royal Mail's proposal before April 2009.

Discounts

If introduced, the Sustainable Mail service will offer bulk mailers a discount of either 2 or 4.7 per cent, depending on whether a company qualifies for the 'entry' or 'intermediate' level of the service. The criteria to qualify for the entry level will include:

• The use of recycled fibre from recovered waste paper and/or virgin fibre sourced from a Defra-approved forest certification scheme in all paper products.
• The use of recyclable envelopes (including window and padded envelopes).
• The use of a logo which will encourage people to recycle their junk mail, such as the 'Recycle Now' logo.
• The adoption of good data practices, such as checking mailing lists against the Mailing Preference Service.

To qualify for the intermediate level a bulk mailer must meet a number of additional criteria, including:

• The use of environmentally friendly varnishes and adhesives.
• The inclusion of information about how an addressee can unsubscribe from receiving further unsolicited mail from the sender.

In 2007, Royal Mail introduced a similar scheme for unaddressed junk mail. The 'green' door-to-door scheme commits Royal Mail to making door-drops that meet a number of environmental criteria 'carbon neutral' by donating money to a carbon offset scheme. Royal Mail does not publish data on the take-up of this scheme and it therefore unclear how many bulk mailers are chosing this green option.