Junk mail's carbon footprint equals nine million cars

Senders of junk mail are causing carbon emissions equal to nine million cars, according to a forest preservation group. Pressure group Forest Ethics released the report, Climate Change Enclosed: Junk Mail's Effect on Global Warming last week. The study found that half the carbon expenditure relating from junk mail comes from the removal of forest wood, while another 20% comes from the emissions created at paper plants during production. The only upside is the return of 1% of the carbon lost when paper products are burned to create energy, creating a cleaner alternative to conventional fossil fuel-based energy, the report said. The UK Government already enables people to opt out of receiving addressed mail, and is working with the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) to create an opt-out scheme for unaddressed mail.The DMA is also supporting a BSI standard, PAS 2020, for minimising the environmental impact of junk mail.