PAS 2020, an industry standard commissioned by the Direct Marketing Association and developed by the British Standards Institution, aims to reduce the environmental impact of junk mail. To comply with the standard bulk mailers need to, among others, use environmentally friendly paper, improve targeting of addressed junk mail and ask consumers to recycle their junk mail.

The Direct Marketing Association hopes that the introduction of the standard will improve the public image of junk mail and stave off the threat of having regulation imposed on the industry. In 2003 the industry signed a 'voluntary producer responsibility agreement' with Defra, which mainly aims at increasing recycling levels (to 55 per cent by the end of 2009 and 70 per cent by the end of 2013). However, the government has in recent years repeatedly urged the junk mail industry to do more to reduce waste caused by junk mail. In 2007, the then environment secretary David Milliband warned the industry that it might consider introducing an opt-in system for junk mail.

Stuck in the dark ages

Although the government still favours self-regulation by the junk mail industry it will have to implement new environmental legislation, such as the EU Landfill Directive. By introducing a stricter environmental standard now, the industry hopes to be prepared for these changes. However, during the consultation period on the PAS 2020 standard a number of printing houses spoke out against a stricter environmental standard. It therefore remains to be seen how many bulk mailers will adhere to the voluntary code.

In a press release the Direct Marketing Association urged marketeers to adhere to the standard and warned its members that 'business as usual' is not an option. Its 'Director of Media Channel Development' said the standard will "brace the industry for the introduction of strict new environmental legislation that could prove financially draining for unprepared businesses."

Nick Dixon of the Lateral Group also argued that change was unavoidable. He told printweek.com that anyone who sees the new standard as a negative development is "stuck in the dark ages" and that "strict legislative restrictions" would be inevitable should the industry fail to comply with the standard.