Distribution Services

The objective of distribution services for PAS 2020 is to use organisations that manage the environmental impacts of distributing DM communications

The greenDM.co.uk web site has been developed to be used in conjunction with the BSI PAS 2020:2009 standard. The environmental performance relating to the level needs to be used in conjunction with the PAS 2020:2009 document.

It is important that you use organisations that manage the environmental impacts of distributing DM communications.

At a minimum the delivery of a campaign's DM communications should be:

  • Managed by organisations that have a documented commitment to environmental management and establish a baseline for environmental performance.
  • Identify and have controls in place to ensure compliance with environmental legislation and other environmental requirements (such as standards, codes of practice and/or guidelines.
  • Develop environmental objectives, targets and programmes.

Royal Mail Sustainable Mail™

Sustainable Mail™ is a group of products Royal Mail will offer with the objective of reducing the environmental impact of mail and ensuring its sustainability in the future. The specification for Sustainable Mail™ gives Royal Mail business customers guidance on how to prepare their mail to have least environmental impact. By following its Sustainable Mail™ specification businesses can make their consumers mailing more sustainable.

The Sustainable Mail™ specification has been aligned to PAS 2020 and gives guidance on how to prepare mail to have least environmental impact.

There are two levels in the Royal Mail specification: entry level and intermediate level. Both will evolve over time to reflect changing capabilities of local authorities to recycle material, as well as technological developments in the industry. Changes to the product specification will be linked to changes to the PAS 2020 specification, which is to be reviewed at least every two years.

Royal Mail Carbon Management Programme

Royal Mail also recognise that in common with other businesses of its size, it has an impact on the environment. They also realise that with the size, reach and nature of their business, they are in a position to continually seek ways to reduce their impact on the environment.

Arguably the Royal Mail lead the mail industry in addressing the challenges of climate change. It has an award winning Group wide carbon management programme comprised of nine separate projects which has eliminated over 140,000 tonnes of C02 emissions in the last five years and their aim to be completely carbon neutral by 2015.

In conjunction with this they have developed a sustainability strategy focused on reducing their impact on the environment. As part of the strategy, challenging and ambitious targets have been agreed by 2010. These are:

  • A reduction in Group-wide fleet fossil fuel usage by 14%
  • A reduction in energy consumption for building energy use by 10%
  • An increase in the usage of renewable energy to 50% of total building energy use
  • A reduction in the quantity of solid waste sent to landfill by 25%
  • A reduction in water use by 5% from their current levels

Royal Mail vehicles

To date, Royal Mail has trialed and evaluated a range of alternative fuel vehicles – including Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), hybrid and electric – to determine how best to reduce CO2 emissions. They are also training its drivers to be more safety and environmentally conscious. To help improve fuel consumption they are proactively encouraging all 180,000 employees to adopt a more environmentally friendly approach to driving both at work and in their personal lives.

Telemetry technology has been installed in some 8,000 vans and trucks that will potentially reduce 7,000 tonnes of carbon output and save 2.5 million litres of diesel in 2009.

The investment in the fleet has resulted in more than 200 double-deck trailers, each of which can transport 50 per cent more mail than conventional trucks. This extra capacity means that Royal Mail cuts down on road miles, saving the equivalent in miles of twice the earth’s circumference. Their 2006 CSR report shows that between 2003 and 2006 the transport element of their mail operation’s CO2 emissions reduced by 28 per cent.

Waste

As with every business Royal Mail has an obligation to dispose of their waste in a responsible manner. Not only do they comply with evolving legislation relating to waste, but they are said to be improving their waste handling over and above the legal requirements. This has resulted in working with their waste contractor to develop more effective waste management and minimisation programmes. Recycling capability has been expanded and they have invited specialists to give their input on waste segregation and recycling to establish recycling ‘centres of excellence’.

Water

Royal Mail have an appointed team of specialists to investigate water consumption across all of their properties. They will investigate water wastage or high volumes of use and help move towards reducing overall water consumption.

Making buildings more energy efficient

In association with the Carbon Trust, Royal Mail are also working on reducing the consumption, cost and resultant CO2 impacts from its building utility usage through a combination of technological and behavioral initiatives in their 3,000 buildings. Energy efficiency toolkits have been circulated to all managers, and all mainland UK sites use 100% renewable energy (supplied by EDF Green Energy).

A Plethora of CSR Awards

  • Finalist - Corporate Social Responsibility category - World Mail Awards 2007
  • Winner - Corporate Social Responsibility category - World Mail Awards 2006
  • Winner - Traffic & Transport Management category - City of London’s Liveable City Awards 2006
  • Winner - European Best CSR Programme of the Year. Strategic Risk European Risk Management Awards 2006
  • Highly Commended - European Best CSR Programme of the Year. Strategic Risk European Risk Management Awards 2005

Carbon Trust Standard

The Carbon Trust Standard certifies that an organisation has genuinely reduced its carbon footprint and is committed to making further reductions year on year. Royal Mail have achieved this standard which shows that they are committed to measuring, managing and reducing their carbon footprint.

   

back to topLevel 1

The delivery of a campaign’s DM communications shall be managed by those organizations identified in 3.3f) of the PAS 2020:2009 standard as responsible for such activities and that:

a) document a commitment to environmental management and establish a baseline for environmental performance;

b) identify and have controls in place to ensure compliance with environmental legislation and other environmental requirements (e.g. standards, codes of practice and/or guidance); and

c) develop environmental objectives, targets and programmes.

Level 2

In addition to Level 1, the delivery of a campaign’s DM communications shall be managed by those organizations identified in 3.3f) of the PAS 2020:2009 as responsible for such activities and that:

a) implement and operate an environmental management system; and

b) check, audit and review their environmental management system.

Level 3

In addition to Level 2, the delivery of a campaign’s DM communications shall be managed by those organizations identified in 3.3f) of the PAS 2020:2009 as responsible for such activities and that:

a) publicly report on their environmental performance, including how they are performing against the environmental objectives and targets they set themselves in Level 2; and

b) implement, maintain and publish the results of a carbon reduction and removal programme.