Students of the films of Robin Williams may well be familiar with the phrase carpe diem.They might even remember the film translation - "seize the day". To be picky, it literally means "harvest the day" since, in Latin, carpere is "to harvest" and capere is "to seize".
Rather sadly, this is the only useful output from my seven years spent studying Latin.
The lack of a more widespread classical education has led to the creation of a new slogan, carpe viam, by an online running club. I guess it is supposed to be a witty reference to the Dead Poets Society film and means "seize the road", but actually translates as a slightly less than meaningful "harvest the road". This is really only of value if you happen to own a JCB or work for Thames Water.
Carpe diem, however you translate it, is an apposite slogan for the direct mail industry - the next recycling target for the agreement with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is looming large (recycling levels to be raised to 55 per cent by 2009).
For the first target, the industry benefited from changes to local council recycling. This time they can't give us that boost. Those who think we have some special status or that the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) is holding a trump card are sadly mistaken.
As I write this, the country has just entered the Great Moment of Momentum on plastic carrier bags. It is six years since Ireland brought in taxation for plastic bags, and there are many people in the UK who do not understand why this audacious environmental move by our neighbour didn't take off this side of the water.
However, it does appear that it has now moved from being solely an issue for the chattering classes and eco-warriors and into the mainstream.
It matters little what happens next. Plastic bags have been politicised and are now on the back foot. To stay with the cinema imagery, in the Hammer horror films, when the villagers arrive carrying burning torches, the time for negotiation has usually gone.
The DMA can help to marshal activity but clients must take action themselves. Is there any reason not to put the "recycle now" logo on every piece of printed DM? Perhaps a better-funded, two-stage Mailing Preference Service along with the web address on every mailing? We need to learn from plastic bags.
I don't doubt that environment minister Joan Ruddock is more than willing to politicise our industry if we fail to continue to improve our environmental track record.
- Charles Ping is client services director at Ai Data Intelligence and former head of CRM at Guardian News and Media
- To have your say go to: www.brandrepublic.com/marketingdirect/opinion.