TNT Post UK achieves PAS 2020 certification

TNT Post is the first direct mail supplier in the UK to be awarded the ‘Level 3’ certification to PAS 2020 – an environmental standard from BSI for the direct marketing and direct mail sector. Developed with the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), PAS 2020 is the first independently-certified environmental standard for the direct marketing and direct mail industry and provides the sector with the means for demonstrating the environmental performance of a direct marketing campaign.

The certification for TNT Post’s direct mail offering follows it collaboration with DMA last year, where the two organisations pledged a commitment to working together to promote environmental best practice within the direct mail sector.

Chris Combemale, executive director of DMA commented:  “Adopting environmental best practice is commercial best practice; as well as increasing production and delivery efficiencies, businesses modifying their operations today will fare better than businesses that don’t as new environmental legislation starts to come into effect. I congratulate TNT Post on becoming the first direct mail supplier to achieve the highest level of PAS 2020 certification.”

PAS 2020 adds to TNT Post’s environmental sensitivity within direct mail, for and on behalf of its business mailing customers which it handles upwards of 1bn direct mail items for a year.

PAS 2020 also builds on TNT Post’s suite of environmental services, offering greenPost and CarbonNeutral, which was developed with The CarbonNeutral Company and Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Management.

TNT Post’s dedication to achieving PAS 2020 certification is in response to the Government’s target of reducing carbon emissions by 20% by 2020 and the Direct Marketing Association’s 2003 landmark carbon reducing agreement with the Government, which commits the direct marketing industry to change environmental behaviour over the next 10 years.

These aim to reduce landfill to benefit the environment, whilst also leading to more effectively targeted direct marketing.

Victoria Barron, product marketing manager, British Standards Institution (BSI), said: “PAS 2020 is the first standard that defines what environmental management best practice looks like for direct marketers, and direct mailers within this market. Certification to the standard demonstrates a real commitment to reducing the environmental impact of direct marketing and proves that organisations are following best environmental practice without falling into the ‘green wash’ trap – TNT Post is leading the way and we encourage the rest of the industry to follow suit.”

Nick Wells, chief executive of TNT Post, said: “We recognise the need for a responsible mail market – socially, environmentally and economically. For us, achieving PAS 2020 certification is central to this responsibility; a responsibility that goes beyond our clients and our customers.”

In addition to PAS 2020, TNT Post is the only downstream access provider to be fully ISO14001 compliant and lead in the Dow Jones Sustainability index.