Lower price tariff for Sustainable Mail users

A Royal Mail product story

Edited by the Marketingweek Marketplace editorial team Apr 24, 2009

Royal Mail has announced that Black Horse Personal Finance and Standard Life are the first of its customers to take advantage of its Sustainable Mail bulk mail service.

Sustainable Mail offers a lower price tariff for direct mail that meets environmental standards.

Black Horse, part of the Lloyds Banking Group, and Standard Life Healthcare expect to post their first direct mailings using the Sustainable Mail service in May 2009.

The Sustainable Mail product is priced up to 4.7 per cent lower than standard Mailsort prices and will be available to companies that meet criteria based on three key environmental needs: improved sustainability, minimised waste, and increased recyclability.

To qualify for the Sustainable Mail product, mailers must meet the criteria for two specifications: entry level, where prices of up to two per cent below normal Mailsort tariffs are available; or intermediate level where this increases to 4.7 per cent.

The criteria to qualify for Sustainable Mail at the entry level 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 adoption of good data practices, such as the development and maintenance of an internal suppression file as well as the checking of customers and prospects against the Mailing Preference Service.

* The recyclability of all paper elements of the mailing, including window and padded envelopes.

* A statement or logo, such as Recycle Now, on the outside of the mailing to encourage recycling of the item.

Included in the intermediate level specification are requirements that:
* All printers, mailing houses or in-house mailing facilities used to produce a mailing must have an environmental management system conforming to BS EN ISO 14001.

* No ultraviolet varnish finishes or rubber-based adhesives are used in the mailing.

* Each item must give clear information as to how the addressee can register to unsubscribe from receiving information about any or all of a sending company's products for one year.