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which is why the DMA is shortly launching proposals for how it wants producers and consumers to be more responsible.

The proposals are a response to the Government's Waste Strategy 2000 report which sets stringent guidelines for recycling household waste.

The DMA is now consulting with DEFRA - the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - and expects to publish the full proposals by the summer.

According to the DMA's draft document - 'Producer Responsibility for Direct Mail and Promotions' - 40 per cent of direct mail delivered must be recovered for recycling purposes, rising to 45 per cent by 2010 and 67 per cent by 2015. Of this, 30 per cent of recovered waste must be recycled by 2005, in line with Waste Strategy guidelines.

Producers have no responsibility for the recycling of paper themselves - Robottom says the amount of paper is not significant enough to have separate boxes for households to fill - but part and parcel of meeting recovery figures is a call for producers to construct mailings in a manner that makes them easily recycleable.

"We are proposing that contaminates - such as laminates, glues and foreign items are reduced to a minimum,

says Robottom. Producers are advised to "avoid

paper-plastic laminate and "not to use

latex adhesives (self-seal envelopes) and peelable adhesives.

Robottom says suppliers have been consulted over the proposals for the last six months. However, the detail is likely to cause concern among agencies, who might be forced to tone down their creative ideas. Suppliers will also need to be persuaded that the proposals are worth their while.

One of the key sticking points could be with window envelopes, the mainstay of DM. Robottom argues they do not create a huge problem for recycling mills but manufacturers think differently.

Sandra Warnock Horn, is communications manager at Aylesford News Print which processes 1,000 tonnes of wastepaper each day to turn into newsprint. "What we want,

she says "is more newspapers and magazines sent in. We're finding people don't have enough of these, but they do have a lot of junk mail and this is full of material that's harder to work with, including window envelopes."

She adds: "Recycling is about recovering fibres. Cellophane clearly doesn't have any. Direct mail also has inked papers all the way through rather than on the top of the paper which is harder to de-ink. These problems are not insurmountable and the more paper reused the better, but I think education must start with consumers so they know what to recycle and what not to."

Tony Gill, CEO Encore Envelopes Direct, says moves to control windows could create a problem. "Twenty years ago we were using a tracing paper-like material called glassine. This will recycle very well,

he says.

"We could go back to this quite easily, but in the meantime, Royal Mail's optical reading equipment has been designed such that it can't read through it."

Just how far these measures will go then is a moot point. "We won't enforce measures on members that makes them uncompetitive,

asserts Robottom.

Specifically he refers to any moves requiring suppliers to use recycled paper themselves. "We're concentrating on recovery of paper,

he says "because there are still issues to do with printing that make recycled paper inferior quality."

All of which means the onus is still very much with the consumer - expected not only to receive mail but now sort it and recycle it too. Persuading consumers to recycle waste is, Robottom admits, not something the DMA can do alone.

"We envisage running a consumer marketing programme,

he says, "but already we've decided that it's a general household waste issue that needs government promotion too."

One of the problems is that not all parts of the country are as progressive as others in recycling. Depending on which borough you look at, figures range from 2-25 per cent of household waste being recycled.

Another issue is where the responsibility for recycling lies. "We only make envelopes,

says Gill "so are we responsible or is it the mailers for sending it or consumers who receive it? It's a question that needs answering."

New products are coming on to the market to encourage marketers to be more responsible. Envelopes International has produced 'Sumo' paper-padded bags which are already starting to replace bubble envelopes in Japan where bubble products are to be banned next year.

"Basically, direct mail is a good product to recover,

says Robottom.

"The environment will never be a big issue unless we make it one. These proposals are an important starting point."

CODE OF PRACTICE PROPOSALS

Members should maximise their use of recycled paper where practical

- Members must ensure mailers and inserts are primarily paper based

- The use of laminates should be kept to a minimum and biodegradable alternatives pursued

- Non-paper products can be used but only if they are easily separable at the point of recovery at the papermaker fibre plant

- Inks, varnishes, photographic developers and fixes should be recycled where possible

- Substitute products for latex adhesive should be sought

- Members should use lightweight or environmentally friendly paper.