How mail can be a sustainable marketing channel

Not all mail is created equal. 
There is good and bad.
But mail can be a sustainable choice. If you make the right, informed decisions. 
Done in the right way using the right materials, mail can be part of a circular, regenerative economy - as well as part of an effective marketing mix.

By opening the aperture and assessing the impact of mail across its entire life cycle, from raw material to end-of-life, new research reveals how the right decisions at the right time can make mail a more sustainable form of communication. There is much, much more to be done to decarbonise, reduce waste and lower the impact of mail - but the journey is well underway. 

The term ‘carbon’ is commonly used in replacement for ‘Greenhouse Gases’ (GHGs). It reflects all GHGs and is presented in terms of a unit weight of CO₂ equivalent e.g. gCO₂e.

Marketreach’s Life Cycle Assessment has looked in depth at the environmental impact and carbon emissions from every stage of the production and disposal of mail:

• Sourcing / Raw Materials:
  • from the forests that provide the raw materials for paper and pulp.
• Processing:
  • in the mills that turn that raw material into paper.
• Printing & creation:
  • the design time, the inks and the printing processes involved in creating mail.
• Delivery:
  • transport & delivery operations and last-mile posties.
• End of Life:
  • disposal (both landfill and recycled) of paper and envelopes.

Each stage reveals both the progress achieved so far to make more sustainable options available - and the work that needs to be done to lower emissions still further. 

Carbon hotspots represent the highest carbon emitting source(s) and show where quick wins in carbon reductions are possible.

The LCA results show carbon hotspots exist in material and ink use as well as delivery, so these phases offer the maximum opportunity for carbon reduction.

A. Inks

Both quantity and type of ink impact on carbon emissions and are key considerations for reducing carbon emissions. You should aim to get the most out of the materials and format you’re planning to use – with as little waste as possible.

As the products increase in size (dimensions), including number of pages and sides, the quantity of ink increases and therefore the associated emissions. For example, with an A4 letter (transactional pack), average magazine and A4 or C5 large catalogue, after materials, ink is the second largest life cycle stage contributor to total carbon emissions.

What to check for:

• Is the amount of ink coverage appropriate?
• Design where possible with less ink coverage, saving ink during printing.
• Is the overall weight and size as economical as it can be without reducing the impact of your campaign?

Also see if the following inks are available:

• Soy-based Inks are made from soybeans and are available across a spectrum of colours. Another advantage is it’s easier to recycle the paper it’s printed on.
• Eco-solvent Inks are non-water based and made from the ether extracts of refined mineral oils. Printers often describe them as ‘soft’ or ‘mid’ inks.

B. Materials:

For the products with an average weight of greater than 25g, the emissions from the paper were a more significant part (>50%) of the total raw material emissions. In particular, the envelope emissions for the A4 or C5 large catalogue and an average magazine were 13% and 11% of the total raw material emissions respectively.

• Paper wrap, for A4 or C5 large catalogues, is 100% recyclable and less harmful to our planet than plastic polywrap.
• Products mailed without polywrap, or envelope are known as naked mailings. There are cost savings and postal discounts from using this method.

C. Delivery

Delivery to the Royal Mail distribution centres is a carbon hotspot, accounting for 53% of total delivery emissions.  As the UK and Royal Mail progresses towards Net Zero, emissions from delivery are also likely to reduce. Royal Mail have plans to reduce the emissions relating to letters and parcels via their Net Zero 2040 strategy ‘Steps to Zero’ [8]. This focuses on the electrification of final miles, optimisation of local and national distribution, moving from planes to trains and delivering efficient and renewable energy for operations.

Learn more [9]

Understandably less ink, less paper, improved recycling rates, more efficient van loading, less delivery by plane, renewable power sources and less waste… saves money.

Furthermore, the investment Royal Mail is making today to become more efficient saves money in the long term. 

For your business, circular, sustainable mail can help you create more effective comms for customers, adhere to ESG standards, develop your brand reputation, create a competitive advantage, reduce your scope 3 emissions, and be a catalyst for innovation.

Furthermore, we urge all businesses to set science-based targets [10] to decarbonise their operations to gain the greatest benefit for their employees, planet, and the future.

All media has a carbon footprint.

However, many believe that digital media’s carbon footprint is negligible as it is seemingly invisible. We do not think about the mining of minerals, water usage and power demands on the infrastructure of our digital world. 

Various studies estimate the world’s digital footprint to be between 2.3 – 3.7 percent of global CO₂ emissions, which is equivalent to the emissions of the entire aviation industry [11].

By comparison, the pulp and paper industry accounts for 2% of global CO₂ emissions [12].

In Europe the industry only accounts for 0.8% of European greenhouse gases and it is the biggest single user and producer of renewable energy in the EU [13].

Research carried out by WSP and commissioned by Marketreach has produced a full Life Cycle Assessment (LCA*) of Mail. For the first time, it has looked in depth at the environmental impact and carbon emissions from each stage in the life of mail - from forest source to end-of-life, via the processing, design, production and delivery stages. By assessing the impact of mail across its entire life cycle, this new research reveals how the right decisions at the right time can make mail a more sustainable form of communication.

In Europe, where almost all primary forests are protected, paper comes from sustainably managed forests where the cycle of planting, growing and logging is carefully controlled.

As a result, between 2005 and 2020, European forests grew by 58,390 square kilometres – that’s an area bigger than Switzerland and amounts to over 1,500 football pitches every day [14].

Paper boasts exceptional environmental credentials: it’s natural, biodegradable, recyclable, comes from an infinitely renewable source and is produced in a sustainable manner. 

A well-managed forest, where trees are felled and replanted, absorbs carbon dioxide (CO2). In fact, forests represent a proven “carbon capture and storage” system. Carbon storage is further prolonged by recycling paper [15].

Energy:

A pulp mill with a modern recovery boiler, such as Świecie in Poland, can generate up to 100 kilowatt hours of excess electricity per tonne of pulp. This excess can be fed into the power grid, allowing it to participate in the electricity balancing market. This market helps stabilise the power grid across Europe by balancing out fluctuations in demand and generation [16].

Water:

While pulp and paper manufacturing require a lot of water, 93% of the water used in the European paper industry is returned in good quality (having been reused within the mill before being suitably treated), with the remainder either evaporated, staying within the product, or bound up in solid waste [17].

Bleaching:

According to Storaenso:

Mills mainly use ECF bleaching. This technology was taken into use to replace chlorine with chlorine dioxide in the first stage of bleaching, and it virtually eliminates the formation of toxic compounds like dioxins and furans. 

ECF bleaching, in combination with oxygen delignification, provides - with lower energy consumption - higher yield and produces stronger fibres compared to TCF bleaching. This, in turn, enhances the ability to recycle the products made from the pulp and contributes to more efficient use of wood resources. 

Modern ECF pulp mills use bio-activated sludge in wastewater treatment, so the water released back to the watercourses is virtually free of toxic substances.

The most environmentally safe technology available to pulp mills is Total Chlorine Free (TCF), which uses no chlorine compounds. Instead, the bleaching process is supplemented with oxygen, ozone and/or hydrogen peroxide [18].

According to Inside Packaging:

Conventional ink uses mineral-based oils with pigments containing metals. When packaging such as card or paper biodegrades, the oils and pigments used in the printing process do not biodegrade and so contribute towards environmental pollution. However, different types of inks have been developed over the years and are used by different companies to make products more eco-friendly and biodegradable, while still maintaining the correct colour and longevity.

Biodegradable inks use natural vegetable oils, such as soya, sunseed or rapeseed oil. These types of inks produce vivid colours and are generally more cost-effective than traditional inks. This is because the ink flow spreads more efficiently and, therefore, means less ink is used when printing [19].

Our partners in the printing industry, like Webmart, are measuring the impact of their operations. Carbon figures are put against different types of ink, press size, plates, paper as well as the distribution of mail [20].

We advise all suppliers across our industry and beyond to consider science-based targets to reduce their emissions wherever possible [10].

Just like every other sector and industry, in the face of an environmental and climate emergency, mail needs to continue to transition to be part of a low-carbon, nature positive and truly sustainable economy. Business as usual is no longer feasible on a finite and warming planet with rising energy and commodity costs. The days of ‘take-make-waste’ are over and we must all take a more circular approach.

As both leader and champion of the mail channel, Marketreach and Royal Mail have a significant responsibility to demonstrate leadership and ambition in this area - to lead the industry, accelerate change and ensure that mail is contributing to a more circular and sustainable economy.