Our Direct Marketing department processes many mailings every day. Sometimes on paper, sometimes as e-mail. Meanwhile, we are also experimenting with push mailings aimed at mobile phones such as SMS, rich push (with text and image), in-app messages and app-inbox communication. But what is actually better for the environment? To mail or to email?
CO2 EMISSIONS
First the e-mailings. The production and sending is very quick. The conversion is directly measurable and the next step in the communication flow is only one click away. The cost per contact is also extremely low compared to a paper mailing. In terms of sustainability, e-mail also scores much better than a paper mailing. Just some power consumption, aCO2 puff in a data centre and that was it. Research shows that a paper mailing indirectly emits 9 to 14 grams ofCO2 and a digital mailing only 6 grams. With pictures and digital signatures the emissions are higher, by the way. E-mailing, you would say.
RESULT
Unfortunately, this is where the shoe pinches when we include the result in these calculations. Depending a little on the sender and client, studies show that an average of seven e-mails must be sent to achieve the same result as an addressed paper Direct Mailing. So do the math.
If the emissions are considered on the basis of the result to be achieved, then an e-mailing produces aCO2 emission that is three to four times higher than that of a paper mailing. And we have not even mentioned the growth of forest area due to production forests for the paper industry, or thatCO2 reduction is achieved precisely by the raw material of paper, forest, and that 86% of the paper is recycled. But these are typical arguments of the paper industry.
Transport costs, the machines that are needed, water consumption, the physical space that has to be built... the extent to which all this is taken into account is not really transparent. You can make these comparative calculations as complex as you like, there is no single answer. Because we are in the communications business, we base our answer on the effectiveness of the mailing. If we were to take only sustainability aspects as a starting point, we would be better off not mailing at all...or emailing.
TEST
The answer lies in testing beforehand what gives the best results. It may be silly, but we see it happen far too little. In one way or another, it is often decided in advance, on a feeling, whether it will be paper or digital or a combination of both. Testing first what produces the best results quickly provides interesting insights. And during the test period you can, as a client, delve deeper into the power of the message, the timing, relevance and how valuable your message really is for the end customer. Success is a choice according to Cup-a-soup, but so is mailing.