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[GreenYes] Re: Junk Mail in the US


At 09:35 AM 3/8/2006 -0500, Doug Koplow wrote:

>Interesting strategy for France. The US could begin by stripping
>subsidies to these folks.

I believe it was during the presidency of Reagan that the direct mail
people essentially gained control over the Postal Service, changing
the rate structure so as to shift the burden onto individual first
class mailers (you and me....).

> Many of these mailings are extended discount postal rates, which
> may or may not reflect the costs to handle them. In addition, mail
> order catalogs have long been exempt from having to pay state sales
> tax (unless they also have a retail operation in a particular
> state). Fixing both of these problems would cut down on the amount
> of mailings.
>
>In addition, every catalog mailer should be required to print on the
>front or back cover the % of recycled fiber content, and of that,
>what portion is post-consumer. This same notification should
>disclose if they have added plastic coatings or other additives to
>the catalog that make it difficult to recycle.
>
>It's amazing that even stores targeting environmentally-conscious
>people have frequent mailings, poor control over mailing lists
>(generating duplicate copies of the same catalog), and print them on
>very thick glossy paper.
>
>-Doug Koplow
>
>_______________________________
>Doug Koplow
>Earth Track, Inc.
>2067 Massachusetts Avenue - 4th Floor
>Cambridge, MA 02140
>www.earthtrack.net
>Tel: 617/661-4700
>Fax: 617/354-0463
>
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> >>> "Bill Sheehan" <bill@no.address> 03/08/06 08:34AM >>>
>
> France applies polluter pays logic to junk mail
>
>
>
>
>
> Environment Daily 2053, 07/03/06
>
>
>
>Distributors of unsolicited mail in France will have to help pay for
>recycling of the resultant waste under a decree agreed by the council of
>ministers last week. The sector has been put on notice that if it fails to
>cooperate the government will introduce a junk mail tax.
>
>
>
>Under the decree, distributors can pay into a fund that will then support
>recycling by local authorities or they can pay for advertising to encourage
>consumers to recycle waste. The government says it will decide on payment
>levels later this year after consulting with interested parties.
>
>
>
>French households receive an average of 40kg of unsolicited printed
>materials every year, according to the French environment ministry.
>
>Local authorities put the cost of recycling printed materials at about
>?150/tonne, currently all borne by local taxpayers. At this rate, recycling
>half of all junk mail in France would cost ?75m.
>
>
>
>*The decree is designed to help meet an official target of reducing the
>amount of household waste going to landfills or incinerators to 200kg per
>person per year within ten years (ED 22/09/05
>
><http://www.environmentdaily.com/19463>).*
>
>
>
>*Follow-up: *French environment ministry
><http://www.ecologie.gouv.fr/sommaire.php3>, tel: +33 1 42 19 20 21, plus
>press release <http://www.ecologie.gouv.fr/article.php3?id_article=5254> and
>decree <http://admi.net/jo/20060302/DEVP0640001D.html>.
>
>
>
>/Bill Sheehan
>
>
>
>
>
>


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