Check out our top eco-friendly tips for November 15 and beyond.
Happy America Recycles Day (ARD)! Also known as National Recycling Day, the first ARD took place on November 15, 1994. Nearly 30 years later, it is still the only nationally recognized day dedicated to promoting and celebrating recycling in the U.S.
Although it’s not as high profile as some holidays, ARD is important, both to the envelope and print industry, as well as our country. In 1960, the U.S. recycling rate was just over 6%. By 2017, it reached 35% and has remained roughly the same since.
Despite growth, the national rate still falls well short of other developed nations. ARD continues to encourage and educate all of us on why recycling is important. Catching up to our peers will require effort from us all. If you’re looking for a way to kick-start new eco-friendly practices, ARD is the perfect time to start.
Eco-Friendly Tension Products
Tension is committed to cutting down on waste in our production process, while also providing a range of “green” products and materials, including:
- Alta envelopes: These two-way, reusable envelopes are ideal for getting noticed, while reducing your waste and mailing costs.
- Padded recyclable mailers: Easy-to-use, customizable, and recyclable mailers are an innovative paper-based alternative to plastic or bubble-padded options.
- Water-based ink: Our unique blend of flexo inks contains water-borne pigments and minimal VOCs (volatile organic compounds) to meet EPA standards.
- Chain of Custody: Tension can print using certified, chain-of-custody (CoC) substrates to communicate your commitment to responsible sourcing.
Green Design Tips
Design can also play a major role in minimizing waste. To make your next direct mail campaign more eco-friendly, consider…
- Printing double-sided to maximize your envelope or printed “real estate”.
- Making sure your database is accurate to avoid wasteful mailings.
- Tracking and analyzing campaigns to improve future efficiencies.
- Sending your audience online with a QR code or personalized URL (PURL).
- Including icons and/or verbiage on your mailpiece, both to demonstrate your commitment to sustainability and encourage your recipients to recycle it.
There are so many easy ways we can work together to be responsible stewards of the environment. We encourage you to be an eco-friendly mailer by following some of the tips we’ve shared here.
If you’re not sure where to begin, let the experts at Tension help. Contact us today to get started.
About Tension
A global leader in envelope, printed products, packaging and packaging automation solutions, the Tension Corporation is a privately held and operated company based in Kansas City, Missouri. Tension manufactures billions of envelopes annually and its envelope and print division serves a variety of industries, including third-party billing, financial, insurance and direct marketing. The packaging and automation division of Tension provides software, consumables, automation, and service and support for fulfillment to the e-commerce and pharmacy industries.
