Here in Seattle the local City Council is pushing for support of a Do Not Mail list that they hope will become a nationwide initiative. Apparently the effort is being sponsored by the ForestEthics in an attempt to stop deforestation as a result of direct mail.

You can follow the storyline at the Huffington Post.

In response to Mr. Paglia’s assertions I sent the following comments to his article. The unintended consequences of such an initiative could be dramatic, it is incumbent upon all of us in the Direct Marketing Industry to do our part in trying to help educate everyone in how we perform our business and the value it has to the economy, as well as the real impact on the environment. I have been a green advocate for quite some time, I care deeply about this planet, the future of my children, the air that we breathe and the water that we drink – I also love hiking in the woods and would aggressively advocate for the protection of all old growth. But my environmental position is balanced with a realism and a pragmatism that serves to keep me focused on all aspects of the debate, not just the ones that serve my own personal viewpoint.

Anyway, here’s my short blog back to Todd, and his co-worker at Forest Ethics, Marika.

Todd/Marika.

Some points I’d like you to consider:

· Direct Mail drives the cost of all postage down. The industry is incredibly efficient, and helps enable the USPS to subsidize postage for citizens, not the other way around

· Direct Mail is so efficient because the USPS requires the industry to provide mail pieces in “walk sequence” – literally in the very sequence the postal carrier will use when she drives or walks the mail route

· Many local small businesses use Direct Mail to attract customers within their neighborhood to their store. A pizza parlor will mail every neighbor within 2 miles with a coupon for a pepperoni pizza. Take away Direct Mail from this local store owner and you will hand that pizza order to the multi-national chain who can afford TV advertising

· Should your initiative be successful and across the US the Direct Mail industry is dealt a mortal blow, what do you intend to happen to the people directly affected by the collapse of this industry? It is estimated to be approximately 40,000 people in Washington alone?

Finally, there are over 3 billion Christmas cards sent by citizens around Christmas. These are printed on board stock and mailed, typically inside envelopes that have hand written addresses. The USPS does an incredible job of delivering those Holiday wishes of our citizenry – - but the environmental impact cannot be ignored. Do you intend to sponsor a bill to eradicate the Christmas card too?

Rich Lancaster

CEO

Compact Information Systems