Recylcing plants: set for junk mail deluge

Ministers are leading a fresh drive to increase the proportion of junk mail which is recycled.

The environment department and the Direct Marketing Association detailed a new agreement on recycling targets for direct mail on Tuesday.

Currently only 13 per cent of promotions materials is recovered for recycling.

The government sees the area as an opportunity to radically reduce the amount of paper wasted.

The DMA has promised to increase this figure to 30 per cent by the end of 2005, 55 per cent by 2009 and 70 per cent by 2013, meeting the government's waste strategy commitment.

The trade body is promising to encourage more targeting of materials and to improve the collection for recycling of unwanted leaflets and brochures.

A guide to the acceptable materials, chemicals and contaminants that should be used, or avoided, in the production of direct mail has also been produced for the industry.

Environment minister Elliot Morley said he was "delighted" with the agreement.

"We are determined that producers must take responsibility for their products when they become waste and the DMA is playing its part in tackling one part of the UK's waste problem through this voluntary agreement," he said.

"Householders now know that if they dispose of waste direct mail sensibly, it will be recycled."

The DMA's director of development and postal affairs said that the 900 firms he represents wanted to improve their environmental record.

"This initiative will be promoted heavily to the DMA membership and wider industry through a range of communication activities, whilst we will also be working with member companies to ensure the effective implementation of the scheme and to meet the targets set," David Robottom said.

"We are committed as an industry to reduce direct mail waste in a sustainable way so that we can find a fair balance between industry and consumer needs."