In Pursuit of the Smarter Statement

The perennial problem of unopened mail and its impact on the environment is one that has long bothered sustainability campaigners.

Industry thought leaders state that 44 percent of all junk mail is thrown in the trash, unopened and unread. It is expected that each person in the United States alone will receive almost 560 pieces of junk mail in 2009, which adds up to around 4.5 million tons in one year alone.

Added to this, around 40 percent of the solid waste in landfills is paper and paperboard waste. By the year 2010, this figure is predicted to make 48 percent.

These certainly are shocking figures, which is why many businesses, and institutions like banks, are promoting preventative measures such as electronic statements and bills as the “green” alternative for their customers.

On the surface, this makes sense. Making a simple change such as sending a statement notice via e-mail instead of printing it out and mailing, should reduce the amount of documents printed, as well as the actual cost of printed output. Plus an e-mail has a relatively simple creation cycle, from data to implementation. Right?

Wrong.

We should question how much impact Web sites promoting electronic statements because they save trees are really making on the environment. Or is this a case of “green washing,” where companies talk more about “going green” than doing the hard work?

The reality is that while electronic statements save paper waste, they also have a negative impact on the environment. We must always consider the full life cycle of an electronic statement all the way from the silicon fab through to the data center, via e-mail through to the e-waste crisis that is rising to the fore.

Paper vs. Electronic Statements

The good news is that electronic statements are becoming more sustainable, one data center at a time. New innovations such as renewable energy sources, server virtualization and e-waste take-back programs are truly making a difference when it comes to the environmental impact of an electronic statement.

Likewise, paper statements are becoming more sustainable, one print shop at a time. Breakthroughs like such inkjet printers that use less energy, paper with less environmental impact, and mail optimization systems that mean more efficiency in the mailroom are helping to reduce waste at all levels.

Consumers interested in making more sustainable choices need real world comparisons in the same way calorie displays at fast food outlets can help us make sensible eating decisions. If businesses and consumers alike knew the real environmental costs of the communications they sign up to receive and send, they could subsequently be better educated to make the right choice when it comes to impacting the environment.

Changes for Good

Traditionally, an inefficiency for statement printers has been the need to heat paper in order to melt the toner into it, which includes heating the disused white space around text, for example on a statement. Switching to an inkjet printer that uses less energy by only drying the paper for the amount of ink that is actually used is one change for the better taking place across the print industry.

Beyond energy, print shops can use paper with recycled content, a lighter weight or made with mechanical pulp, which uses half as many trees as traditional paper. And always using paper with Chain of Custody certification helps ensure it comes from sustainable forests.

Mail also has a significant environmental impact and can be optimized by “address cleansing” to reduce returns, postal code sorting, combining statements for households, and even the innovative idea of reusable envelopes.