International Review of Waste Management Policy - Department of ...

Table 38-2: Direct Mail Policies and Their Estimated Impact
Policy Description
Existing Suppression
Enhanced Opt-outs
Postage Levy
Producer Responsibility
Levy
Enforcement of no junk
mail stickers
602
29/09/09
Existing Direct Mail
Agreement
Promotion of Mailing
Preference Service
Increase in costs of
direct mail-related
post (by 10% of price)
Targets for recycling
supported by cost
recovery from users of
direct mail
Legal support for
rejection of junk mail
Impact on Direct
Mail
(%)
Impact on Free
Newspapers etc.
(%)
2 n/a
6 - 9 n/a
4 - 8 n/a
1 - 9 Potentially similar
15 15
The percentages sometimes have a wide range as they take into account not only the
range of estimates of the size of the direct mail sector in terms of tonnage, but also
estimates of the elasticity of demand for it. It is worth noting that only two policies –
producer responsibility and enforceable no junk mail stickers - have an impact on
non-mailed items such as free newspapers.
Measures to limit the number of free flyers and newspapers could also have an
impact on the litter situation. Indeed, it was litter legislation that was enacted in
Australia to outlaw junk mail delivered to houses with a “no junk mail” sticker. Part of
any financial support to local authorities given as a part of a producer responsibility
scheme could be used to fund street cleansing operations to tackle the issue of
discarded flyers and newspapers.
The percentages of waste prevention were translated into tonnages and cost savings
as seen in Table 38-3. 736 Postage levy is excluded as it would be difficult to ensure
that only direct mail was affected by it.
736 Original amounts were in UK Sterling: these have been converted at a rate of 1.25 Euros to the
Pound.