There is a more effective way of dealing with these items, put them back in the letter box marked RETURN TO SENDER. For 16 years we, (www.veri-data.co.uk ) have been processing returned and undelivered mail for financial services and others. For each company we open and scan the relevant information required and return it to them on a weekly basis so that they can supress their databases, so they do not mail that person/address again.

We then recycle all the waste paper, for 80% of the carbon footprint of a direct mail piece is in the end of life solution. Our service also helps to reduce the opportunity for identity fraud and protects the brand image by not ‘irritating’ people by sending them material they do not want. Sadly not all mailers use a service like ours and in many large companies and charities there is a reluctance to engage with this matter. Nobody wants responsibility for what is perceived as irksome problem, notwithstanding it can save them money and cut their carbon footprint. (20gms of CO2 are generated by a piece of direct mail)

Like it or not Direct Mail works and a great many people are stimulated to buy, even if it only drives them to a web site. I also wonder how many people who complain about this issue would actually miss it.  For as Auden noted, ‘And none will hear the postman’s knock Without a quickening of the heart. For who can bear to feel himself forgot.’ or am I the only one who feels slightly miffed when the postman passes by and there is no mail?

NB Companies that dropped direct mail in 2009 are going back because they saw a drop in orders of up to 25% Wall Street Journal article 2011

We include catalogues in this context.

Most direct marketers would agree that embracing best environmental practice is a sensible idea. There are rewards for doing so but whether you agree that PAS2020 an onerous standard or a good discipline, the potential for reduced costs, reduced waste and increased campaign performance makes good business sense.

There also the benefit of Royal Mail’s ‘Sustainable Mail’, which offers postal services at a discounted rate if a company is proved to be compliant with PAS 2020. This can save mailers up to 4.7 percent off the standard mail tariff.

As a company dedicated to processing returned and gone way mail since 1996 we have to declare an interest in hoping that volumes of direct mail do not decline too quickly. In our part we have reduced the returns/’gone aways’ of one our larger customers (at their peak mailing 140 million pieces a year) from over 6% to under 2% saving them thousands of pounds.

Our aim is to minimise waste and thereby cut cost, by removing unnecessary volume, and by ensuring the ‘end of life’ solution where 80% of the carbon footprint occurs is addressed responsibly. We recycle all waste paper. It can also provide brand protection and reduce the opportunity for fraud – overlaying information from returns can identify hot spots/addresses and help to mitigate identity theft.

Taking care of your returns also offers a safety net from consumer backlash, because despite the economic times, consumers and the media are still being tough on brands that do business while ignoring the environmental impact.

It was originally designed to capture name and address information and to reduce the capture cost.  It includes full name and address information but its range has been expanded to include streamlining back office functions.

For example, including updating customer databases, validating the postal addresses, segmenting documents based on their commercial value and speeding up the process of collecting survey information.

Benefits

•          Reduced CRM mailing costs by 5%

•          Response rates increased by 8%

•          Data integrity enhanced

•          Helps to mitigate identity fraud

•          Achieved immediate and tangible cash savings with CodEffect

•          Reduces data collection cost

•          Enhances data base  management

•          Automates suppression process

•          Integrates mailing process with business process to improve cycle times and reduce cost

•          Minimises barcode size

For more information and power pint presentation please contact Tim Craig tim.craig@veri-data.co.uk

PS included in our service is the safe destruction and recycling of all waste paper helping to cut your carbon footprint

SAVE MONEY PROTECT BRAND IMAGE CUT THE RISK OF IDENTITY FRAUD

Returned  gone way  mail (catalogues) represent a waste of money.  If you have 100,000 Return mail items per annum and your average mail pack is 50p, you have wasted £50,000 which could have been put to better use in reaching customers and prospects. Conversely, if you are over-suppressing your mailings due to inaccurate Returns information, you could be losing out on revenue opportunities.

Veridata are licensed by Arbutus Ridgeto use a proprietary 2d bar-coding system CodEffect. As a company we provide a specialist, automated and quick turn around service for processing returned and undelivered mail.  As such, Royal Mail supports Veridata in the delivery of Returned and gone away mail Management solutions.

What is CodEffect?

CodEffect identifies the recipient of undelivered mail. It encapsulates a mailer ID, campaign code, customer URN or other customer related data along with the complete customer name and address information into a two dimensional (2D) barcode. All data is encoded in order to minimise the barcode’s size.

This means that large amounts of data can be securely encrypted, including data that doesn’t appear in the text of the mailing item and enables large amounts of data to be captured cheaply and accurately.

The 2D barcodes are small and discreet and printed to be visible through the window of each envelope. After a letter is returned, Veridata scans the unopened envelope and decodes the barcode to obtain the required information/name and address of the intended recipient and to identify the mailer who originated the piece. This allows Veridata to create a list of undeliverable names and addresses for the mailer.

The barcodes are printed using industry-accepted DataMatrix standards.

The principal users of CodEffect are printers of bulk mailings who are looking for a cost-effective returns handling solution and a straightforward way of integrating returns handling into their systems.

CodEffect has 2 distinct elements – simple data capture from returns and data verification/enhancement. These are 2 distinct and separate services, designed so that users can ‘buy-in’ to both services, however this is not mandatory.

As far as the “core” data capture service is concerned, the pricing model is simply based on the number of scans performed – the amount of data captured is irrelevant as the amount of work is the same. One of the key selling points of a CodEffect capture solution is a fixed charge, regardless of the amount of data captured.

It can carry a considerable amount and variety of alphanumeric data such as – amount, payee, account information, personal identification information, or customer references; however valuable marketing data could also be added giving detailed information on geographic/demographic success rates of campaigns.

For more information Call Tim Craig 0n 01925 242360

PS We recycle all waste paper/catalogues  helping the environment and you to lower your carbon footprint.

PPS Catalogues can be saved for reuse if required

Save up to 50% on your returned and ‘gone way’ mail/catalogues

In partnership with Arbutus Ridge we process their CodEffect 2d barcode, a powerful method of encoding large amounts of data. Successfully used by many organisations including HMRC and Tesco, the latter in the first six months that they have been using it have seen a 50% reduction in its operational costs for returned mail.

It attracts a lower charge rate to capture than standard alpha/numeric data and we can return the data files on a daily basis if required.

Veridata now offers this encrypted 2d bar-coding system which means that capture of name & address, campaign codes etc. is considerably cheaper and enables us to offer our customers great savings for processing their returned mail.

CodEffect capture solution offer a fixed charge, regardless of the amount of data captured. There is no charge for the software or the creation of the barcode.

The CodEffect service has two distinct elements – simple data capture from returns and

data verification & enhancement. If required it can explain the reason for returns by

running them against a number of industry wide data sets.

The discreet two-dimensional barcode can be set in various places in or outside the envelope

Also included in the cost is the destruction and responsible disposal of all waste paper, which is recycled locally; this helps reduce your carbon footprint. Our service also helps you to comply with EU Directives on Landfill PAS2020 and Royal Mail’s Sustainable Mail.

Technical Requirements

Veridata in partnership with Arbutus Ridge will provide all software required to manage the printing of the CodEffect 2d barcodes free of charge and will work alongside the Client and chosen print company to install and test the process. Full technical requirements will be produced on agreement of contract.

Supplied as Windows DLL’s, which you can integrate using Visual Basic

For further information please contact

Tim Craig Business Development Director

Tel:01925 242360 email: tim.craig@veri-data.co.uk

PS As part o our service we destroy and recycle all paper helping to lower your carbon footprint

Total Postweigh International Ltd

(WEE/KG0294UR)

Introduction

This document is a declaration that Total Postweigh International Ltd is registered with Northern

Compliance as a producer of EEE presented for sale in the UK. For further clarification please contact

0845 257 7024 or info@northerncompliance.org .

Producers Details

Company:

E Mail:

Telephone:

Total Postweigh International

Ltd

john@postweigh.com

01434381182

Address: 1 Skelgillside

Alston

CA9 3TR

Cumbria

Producer

Defined as manufacturer, importer and/or re-brander of EEE made ready for sale in the UK

Declaration

* The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE Directive) was introduced into UK law in January 2007 by the Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment Regulations 2006.WEEE

See http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/business/topics/waste/32084.aspx

WEEE is a huge spectrum of products from computers, mobile phones, (and in our house equipment chargers), printers and faxes, to washing machines, fridges and even fluorescent tubes. At least one million tonnes of WEEE from domestic and commercial sources is discarded in the UK every year. And this figure is growing. If you care about the environment and your carbon footprint we all need to take action now. (Also see our recycling process for Veridata Direct Mail ‘gone aways’ and returns process)

The WEEE Directive is European environmental legislation. It aims to address the environmental impacts of WEEE, and to encourage its separate collection, and subsequent treatment, re-use, recovery, recycling and environmentally sound disposal.

Another piece of environmental legislation, with which Totalpost has to comply and be aware of, is the RoHS Directive (the Restriction of the use of certain Hazardous Substances in electrical and electronic equipment) which came into force on 1st July 06.

This Directive bans the placing on the EU market of new electrical and electronic equipment containing more than agreed levels of lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants. With the new regulations impacting on us all, we take our responsibilities with regards to the correct disposal of electronic equipment very seriously and again have facilities in place to make sure that we comply fully and can help our customers every step of the way.

For further information please call Tim Craig on 44 (0)1925 242360

The letter contains a call for the responsible use of direct mail and proposes the implementation of at least two joint initiatives over the next 12 months.

TNT Post claims to have a firm track record of bringing ethical innovations to the market, including its CarbonNeutral mailing service and greenPost product, which will provide a foundation for future projects.

88% of the carbon footprint of a piece of direct mail is in the ‘end of life’ solution.

The projects will be developed by a strategy group formed of TNT Post and members of the DMA’s Mailing Houses Council, and will be aimed at businesses of all sizes.

In line with the PAS 2020 environmental standard, TNT Post and DMA will work together to deliver advice, recommendations and information to help minimise the environmental impact of direct mail.

Gillian Lyall, chair of the DMA’s Mailing Houses Council, said: “The signing of this letter of understanding indicates the DMA and TNT Post’s commitment to both the continued growth of the sector and the environment.

“It sets out a positive framework of how we, and the rest of the industry, can work together to create a more advantageous situation for all organisations operating in the sector.”

Nick Wells, chief executive of TNT Post UK, said: “As a trusted provider of postal and direct mail services and solutions to thousands of organisations large and small, TNT Post is well placed to generate interest amongst businesses and mailing houses.

“This expertise, coupled with the DMA’s market position, underpins the strength of this joint effort.” nam et ipsa scientia potestas est – For Knowledge Itself is Power

by TrueBlueTerrier » Sat Dec 19, 2009 1:31 pm http://www.brandrepublic.com/Discipline … 900409/TNT

Veridata have been committed to providing a GREEN gone away mail data capture  service for 14 years and all waste paper generated by our process  is confidentially destroyed and recycled.

LONDON – TNT Post and the Direct Marketing Association have signed a letter of understanding pledging commitment to working together to promote environmental best practice within the direct mail sector.

The letter contains a call for the responsible use of direct mail and proposes the implementation of at least two joint initiatives over the next 12 months.

TNT Post claims to have a firm track record of bringing ethical innovations to the market, including its CarbonNeutral mailing service and greenPost product, which will provide a foundation for future projects.

The projects will be developed by a strategy group formed of TNT Post and members of the DMA’s Mailing Houses Council, and will be aimed at businesses of all sizes.

In line with the PAS 2020 environmental standard, TNT Post and DMA will work together to deliver advice, recommendations and information to help minimise the environmental impact of direct mail.

Gillian Lyall, chair of the DMA’s Mailing Houses Council, said: “The signing of this letter of understanding indicates the DMA and TNT Post’s commitment to both the continued growth of the sector and the environment.

“It sets out a positive framework of how we, and the rest of the industry, can work together to create a more advantageous situation for all organisations operating in the sector.”

Nick Wells, chief executive of TNT Post UK, said: “As a trusted provider of postal and direct mail services and solutions to thousands of organisations large and small, TNT Post is well placed to generate interest amongst businesses and mailing houses.

“This expertise, coupled with the DMA’s market position, underpins the strength of this joint effort.”

This article was first published on Marketing Direct

Nikki Sandison, Marketing Direct, 23 April 2009, 08:00AM

We hope you enjoy using Brand Republic. Please do not hesitate to send any feedback to us at: brandrepublic@mail.haymarketbusinessinteractive.com

With 5.4 billion items of direct mail sent out yearly direct marketers have an ideal opportunity to make a major impact because every tonne of recycled paper saves approximately 17 trees and 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space. The public’s perception is important and organisations such as charities, and companies sending out large amounts of Direct Mail and/or catalogues i.e. the mail order sector should take note that consumers and the media do not like brands that do business while ignoring the environmental impact.

Adopting PAS 2020 best practices makes environmental and economic sense.  Furthermore, cost savings can be made through Royal Mail as they offer postal services at a discounted rate to companies that can prove that they are compliant with PAS 2020, this can save up to 4.7 per cent off the standard mail tariff.

Veridata  helps to meet  corporate social responsibility by processing returned, undelivered and goneway mail, which saves companies considerable amounts of  money. Additional huge savings on returned mail handling can be made by using CodEffect 2d barcode call us to find out more on 44 (0)1925 242360