If you wrap your mailings in polythene have you stopped recently
to ask yourself why you mail this way. Does it enhance your product
or is it just what you've always done?

Have you stopped to think "Is it absolutely necessary?" "What are the alternatives?"

Envelopes have the support of environmentalists and the Royal Mail and have a number of advantages over polythene.

Environmental benefits
According to Royal Mail, nearly 2 billion items were sent in polywrap in 2011. This is about 12% of the total number of items posted. Although some polywrap products are degradable (over time) when in landfill or planted in your back garden, recycling is not currently readily available for local council kerbside collections.

Postage cost benefits
Royal Mail have a range of products that are exclusive to enveloped mailings and compare very favourably to the best polythene wrapped options. On a mailing of 25,000 items, using an envelope could save over £1,200 on the best polywrapped equivalent - that's nearly 5p a letter (source: Royal Mail on line calculator Feb 2012).

Marketing Benefits
Envelope mailings are often perceived, rightly or wrongly, to be the packaging of choice for higher quality products. It is true that you have to open an envelope, particularly an unbranded one, to see what's in it, rather than being able to make an immediate gut judgement as to whether it's for you or not.

If your mailing doesn't lend itself to envelope packing, you could always consider going au naturel - there's a lot to be said for it?

We're all receiving more items each morning which have dispensed with any wrapping at all, particularly magazines and catalogues. The names and addresses are printed directly on the front or back cover. It won't suit everyone or every product, but for volume mailings it can be a highly cost effective alternative.

For more information about Mediascene's packing options and ways to reduce postage costs, call Huw or Linda.