Carbon Conscious Mail
To realize the importance of carbon conscious mail, it is important to understand the carbon footprint of mail and the impact it has.
The carbon profile or footprint is the overall amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with a product or activity along its supply-chain, use and end-of-life recovery and disposal.
In essence, a carbon footprint is a life cycle assessment with the analysis limited to emissions that have an effect on climate change. A Life Cycle Assessment is an internationally standardized method for the evaluation of the environmental burdens and resources consumed along the life cycle of products -- from the extraction of raw materials; the manufacture of goods; their use by final consumers or the provision of a service; recycling; energy recovery and ultimate disposal.
The following figure is a snapshot of a typical dissection of a mail piece. In this scenario, a large portion of carbon emissions comes from transportation. It is key to identify and analyze all the business processes around each company’s mailstream to discover improvement opportunities.
Percentage of CO2 Generated Across the Mail Life Cycle
Disclaimer: All data related to this chart is based on available published information and are first pass estimates including mileage related data. Results will vary by production facility geography and actual processes that are deployed and are subject to change.
The possible rewards of achieving an environmentally responsible mailstream with carbon conscious mail could be enormous. Demonstrating a commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainable business practices can mean the difference between winning and losing a customer.
Pitney Bowes has the unique end-to-end experience and expertise to help you develop and implement an environmentally carbon conscious mailstream. As the emphasis on sustainability grows, rely on Pitney Bowes ecowise solutions to position your organization for the future of responsible mail.
