Environmental Sustainability in Direct Marketing 

We all love direct mail because of its effectiveness as a tool for nonprofit organizations to acquire and retain relationships with advocates and donors. At PS our vision is a world more inspired to give, which is why we’ve spent the past 30+ years becoming production experts in direct mail production. The elephant in the proverbial room is that the direct mail industry isn’t necessarily known for being environmentally conscientious as a medium. So, what options are available to NPOs looking to reduce their carbon footprint? What do NPOs do when faced with what seems to be two diametrically opposing goals: fund their critical missions through a proven fundraising channel – AND – be a thoughtful steward of the environment?

The great news is that there are myriad steps in the complex production cycle where incremental change can make a huge, measurable impact when scaled throughout a direct mail program. Numerous environmentally-friendly methods of production and manufacturing are now available, and with persistent effort, will have a significant impact on the environment and our future. 

Over the next few weeks, we are going to take a deep dive into the critical question of how direct mail can be more environmentally friendly and break down the following:

• Tools and tactics such as data hygiene, variable data printing as well as culling/suppression techniques that avoid spoilage.
• Printing, manufacturing, and commodities sourcing strategies to ensure that your suppliers from every aspect of the production process are investing and committed to sustainability. 

In the meantime, we recommend you get started by reading these previous blogs, where we break down the terminology and vocabulary you’ll want to be fluent in. You’ll learn about sustainable certifications and supply chain-of-custody standards as well as the different types of paper, inks, and printing methods available! 

Going Green: Get to Know the Basics of Green Paper

Earth Day is Here!

We look forward to bringing more information about sustainability efforts to you over the coming weeks. If your organization has a goal to reduce your overall carbon footprint, with an ultimate goal of becoming carbon neutral, we will help you get there.