It ain't easy being green

As a follow-up to my post a few weeks back about Direct Mail and the Environment, I thought I'd point out a few recent facts from the DMA (Direct Marketing Association in the US):

- Direct mail accounts for only 2.4 percent of the total municipal solid waste generated in the U.S. annually. {I still think that number is higher than it could be, but not as high as many would have us believe}

- 55 percent of all paper consumed in the U.S. was recovered for recycling in 2007. {Anyone got the number for Canada?}

- By replacing just two shopping trips to the mall each year by buying at home through a catalog, Americans can eliminate 3.3 billion driving miles, reduce emissions by 3 billion pounds, and save
more than $490 million on gas costs. {I knew there was a reason I try to avoid malls and shop where my feet or PC can take me!}

- In 2007, direct marketing accounted for 10.2 percent of total U.S. gross domestic product.
About 10.6 million American jobs depend on direct marketing. {This is a huge industry folks}

For more from the DMA, follow this link:
http://www.the-dma.org/environment/