Environment

The UK government has targeted direct mail and consumer packaging in its plans to reduce Britain's mounting garbage problem, in a move that could hurt the print industry.

Environment secretary David Miliband has published a new strategy to reduce waste that goes to landfill, which it has identified as a major source of methane, a greenhouse gas.

Miliband warned that the government is considering scrapping the Mailing Preference Service (MPS), which allows people to opt out of receiving direct mail by placing their name on a central register, in favour of a much stricter regime.

It proposes to replace the MPS with an opt-in system, which would mean consumers would only receive direct mail if they contacted a central register and added their name to a list.

The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) has warned that this would damage not only the direct mail industry, but also the entire UK economy.

“The impact of an opt-in regime would be felt both by consumers and DMA members,” a DMA spokesman said.

“Without the revenue generated by direct mail, the ability of Royal Mail to maintain a universal service at a competitive price to the consumer would be severely under threat.

“A significant number of jobs depend on the direct mail channel and we will be keen to understand whether political and government communications would be incorporated into such a scheme.”

Meanwhile, Miliband said the government is working with the DMA to allow householders to opt out of receiving unaddressed marketing material.

Presently, the MPS only allows consumers to opt out of receiving addressed mail.

“We need to not only recycle and reuse waste, but also prevent it in the first place,” Miliband said.

“And there’s a particular challenge for businesses to produce less waste with their products, so consumers have less of it to dispose of.”