Australia's DM industry has been attacked by environmentalists as irresponsible after new figures revealed a dramatic rise in mail quantities.
The latest Commercial Economic Advisory Service of Australia data reveals direct mail is experiencing its strongest growth since 2000 recording a 8.8% increase in expenditure in 2006 to $1.7bn.
But this week Friends of the Earth attacked the rise as inappropriate.
“If everyone in the world lived as we lived in Australia we would need three planets in total to meet everyone's needs. We need to think about how we can reduce resource use and in that context unsolicited mail is inappropriate. The industry needs to step up to the plate," Friends of the Earth's campaign co-ordinator Cam Walker, said.
“Given that most people in Australia have access to the internet or at least have an email address means that it makes sense to use email rather than paper."
While many in the DM industry claim that recycling ensures direct mail has little impact on the environment, Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) spokeswoman Elle Morell points out that the breakdown of paper required enormous amounts of water, which also puts a strain on the environment.
For more on this story see the latest issue of B&T (6 July).
