Wales’s minister looks to ban junk mail
WALES’ eco minister is looking to ban junk mail as part of the Assembly’s commitment to green issues.
The move to boot unwanted competitions, loan offers and credit card applications off our doormats forever would rank alongside the smoking ban as another bold piece of legislation introduced here in the wake of devolution.
The Environment Agency estimates junk mail from households and businesses helps to create 4.6 million tonnes of landfill in Wales every year. In 2004 a National Audit Office report predicted Wales will run out of space for dumping rubbish by 2010.
Ms Davidson’s words echo her proposal last month to ban or enforce a levy on plastic bags in Wales. It is a reflection of the rising importance of environmental concerns among voters.
But any such move would face opposition from Royal Mail, which makes millions every year from contracts with private firms to deliver junk mail.
Responding to the Welsh Minister’s idea, a Royal Mail spokesman spelled out how vital junk mail is to its business.
“Our future depends on it competing effectively in all parts of the market and that includes unaddressed mail. The revenue from unaddressed mail helps keep Royal Mail’s stamp prices among the very lowest in Europe and we believe our customers would prefer our uniformed postmen and women to deliver this mail rather than someone else,” he said.
“Royal Mail is obliged under the terms of its licence to deliver all items of mail that are posted through our network, providing these are properly addressed, the correct postage is paid and the material isn’t deemed to be of an offensive or dangerous nature.”
Figures from industry body the Direct Marketing Association claim junk mail accounts for 814,000 jobs in the UK. In 2005 alone, it generated business worth GBP 107bn.
