A new tool published in January 2009 provides a method for the direct marketing (DM) industry to demonstrate its environmental credentials. Direct marketing – Environmental performance – Specification, PAS 2020:2009, is a British Publicly Available Specification.

Environmental issues relating to climate change and the excessive consumption of non-replaceable resources are a pressing concern. PAS 2020 will support the DM industry in its aims to manage these environmental impacts.

Demonstrating the requirements of complying with PAS 2020 to clients could provide direct marketing organisations with a competitive advantage in what looks set to become an increasingly competitive marketplace.

PAS 2020:

• establishes a set of environmental objectives, performance levels, and indicators for different environmental aspects of a DM campaign
• objectives include targeting the right customers and prospects, recyclability of materials used in physical DM communications, use of suppliers for DM activities (such as mailing houses, field marketers, and distribution services)
• includes requirements for the following communications channels: direct mail, door-to-door, unaddressed mail, email marketing, field marketing, inserts in publications, mobile marketing, and telemarketing.

Summarised from an article by Alex Kay in ISO Management Systems, July/August 2009.