Mailing Systems Technology - September/October 2008 - (Page 41) country’s municipal waste. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that the correct answer is two percent, chosen by only two percent of survey respondents. Consumer misperception of the environmental impact of mail and organizations that promote a negative eco-image of mail simply deny consumers access to factual data. Misperceptions and lack of information also adds credence to proponents of legislation that aims to dismantle how the USPS and mailing industry operate. Do Not Mail legislation, being introduced around the country, is becoming a serious threat to the mailing industry, which is patterned after the Do Not Call bills of the 1990s. If passed, this legislation would establish a registry where consumers could prevent unsolicited mail from being delivered to them by businesses. However, instead of a remote control device, in which consumers select channels from which they would like to receive input, most Do No Mail legislation acts as an on/off switch for mail. Do Not Mail legislation is the wrong approach to solve concerns raised, environmental or otherwise, related to unsolicited mail. The mailing industry, in cooperation with the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), and others are working toward the adoption of more stringent consumer choice standards for the industry. The DMA’s Mail Preference Service, free for consumers who want to select the mail they receive, is a direct response to helping consumers receive more of the mail they want. Mailer’s implementation of the Intelligent Mail Barcode will also help customers with increased visibility into their mailstream; however, prioritizing industry concerns on unanswered questions will help overcome any delay in meeting the proposed mandate of May 2009. Opportunities Abound Overall, the Intelligent Mail Barcode is a tremendous value-add for customers as it will increase the deliverability, accountability and efficiency of the mailing industry. Mailer’s adopting the USPS’s “Full Service” option for Intelligent Mail Barcode will have access to the lowest postal rates, trackand-trace capabilities, cleaner-looking mailpieces, improved scanning and the ability to participate in the USPS Seamless Acceptance program. This program offers mailers online account access through the Postal Service’s PostalOne! Postage Payment Account. It is also a critical tool for the Postal Service to continue with its transformation plan and to reduce undeliverable as addressed (UAA) mail by 50% by 2010. To help reduce undeliverable mail, and improve the overall efficiency and deliverability of mail, closed-loop address management practices can also be highly influential. On average, the monthly rate of deterioration of address currency, due to family and individual moves alone, is approximately 1.2%. In six months, about 7.2% of addresses in address files have the potential to be inaccurate, according to the USPS. Most mailers can now take advantage of several opportunities to improve address quality including: CASS processing or “Postal Coding,” which verifies the address ��������������������������� ������������������������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������� �������������������������������������� ����������������������������������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������������������ Mailing ������������������ ������������������������������������� WWW.MAILINGSYSTEMSTECHNOLOGY.COM | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2008 41 http://www.MailingSystemsTechnology.com http://www.MailingSystemsTechnology.com http://www.MailingSystemsTechnology.com
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