The UK Experience by Malcolm Morley*
We all suffer from it whether its via our email or through the letterbox. Junk mail has become a scourge of everyday life. Despite research indicating that a significant proportion of the junk mail delivered to our offices and homes is never read companies still see it as an important element of their marketing mix.
The Royal Mail in England has been hit severly by the electronic revolution with many communications that would have been sent via the post now being sent instantaneously by email. Junk mail, therefore, has taken on an increasingly important role in revenue generation with the Royal Mail last year delivering 3.3 billion items of it to people’s homes.
Recently a postman, seeking to protect his customers from junk mail, created and delivered a leaflet to them to inform them how they could opt out of receiving junk mail. This led to problems for him from his employer. He did, however, get support from his customers.
Recognising the need to increase volumes and to maximise income the Royal Mail has proposed the abolition of the three items per week limit on the delivery of junk mail. This means that it is proposed that there could be an unlimited amount of junk mail being delivered to people’s homes.
Council leaders have written to the Chief Executive of Royal Mail expressing their ‘grave concerns for the Council Taxpayer and the environment’ if a decision to scrap existing limits on the amount of junk mail that is being delivered to people’s homes is agreed.
Last year an estimated 78,000 tonnes of junk mail was delivered to landfill disposal sites. Waste is already increasing by approximately three per cent per year in volume despite huge efforts to increase recycling. Landfill Tax levied for the disposal of refuse has increased by 15 per cent to encourage recycling. Councils are spending £206 million per year more on the collection and disposal of refuse. The number of holes in the ground in which to put refuse are running out. Alternative methods of disposal are being pursued. Not many communities, however, welcome the development of an incinerator to burn refuse. The toxicity of refuse also creates a problem. The key has to be the prevention of refuse and recycling.
Every extra tonne of rubbish that goes into landfill costs the UK taxpayer an extra £100. Councils are under significant financial pressure and committed to increasing the sustainability of their communities. Junk mail is a direct challenge to both of these issues.
In considering planning applications Councils are able to negotiate with developers to ensure that developments contribute to meeting the physical, social and environmental infrastructure challenges created by the additional development. Perhaps Councils should be able to negotiate a contribution to their increased costs in both promoting recycling and the disposal of junk mail.
The Royal Mail is seeking legitimately to increase the profitability of its activities for the benefit of its shareholders. Councils surely legitimately should have the right to seek a financial contribution to minimise the impact of those commercial decisions for the benefit of the communities that they serve.
*Malcolm Morley is Chief Executive of Harlow District Council and can be contacted via the Editor, email info@lgfocus.com.au The views expressed in this article are not necessarily those of his employer.
