You will be aware of the outcomes from COP26, with global efforts currently ongoing to meet the 2050 Net Zero target and keep warming below 1.5°. Businesses across the world are in various stages of digital transformation, not just because of the pandemic’s influence, but to align with overarching sustainability goals and meet internal ESG objectives.
Paper output is one contributor to an organisation’s carbon footprint, especially when considering its print, pack, and post capacity.
Post is the traditional method of sending out important correspondence to customers, including documents such as bills and statements.
While there has been a continuous decline in the number of letters delivered in the UK, 7.8 billion letters were sent during the fiscal year ending March 31, 2021.
Consider the impact that this has on the planet - Royal Mail estimates that 7.8 billion small letters equate to 137,280 tonnes of CO2.
Hearing this number on its own can make it hard to conceptualise just how much carbon that is, so we’ve pulled together some examples. 137,280 tonnes of CO2 are equivalent to:
- 1,205,600,000 cups of coffee
- 68,500,000 CO2 fire extinguishers
- 137,000 flights between Germany and New York
To offset this carbon, we would need to grow 6,850,000 trees for one year. Considering this output is solely for letters, never mind the carbon we create from our energy and travel, you can start to see why we need to act when it comes to our planet.
While ensuring the future of our world is a pretty strong argument for switching it up, there are other compelling arguments for ditching paper, with the first being efficiency.
When sending documents to customers in the post, it can take up to 7 days to arrive, which, when they are under time constraints, can cause delays and frustration.
Print, pack, and post can be a drain on the bottom line for businesses, with many outsourcing to specialist organisations to operationalise at scale for a considerable sum.
With postal tariffs rising, it has never been more expensive to send mail – not to mention that postal reliability has also decreased.
The transference of physical comms to a digital medium could free up a significant budget for other aspects while increasing the likelihood of customers receiving urgent correspondence.
So, if cutting back on letters is the way forward, then what should we use instead? Luckily, the answer comes in the form of an old friend – email.
While instant messaging apps such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom have become readily more accessible and utilised since Covid-19, email use has also increased, with an estimated 319 billion emails sent and received each day in 2021.
Using email instead of paper comms to interact with customers frees businesses from the implications listed above, all while catering to what consumers want.
Research has shown that customers find calling, texting and emailing cheaper, quicker, and more convenient than traditional post.
The only problem is that consumers who receive communications via email find it less secure – and they’d be right, email on its own is not the safest method, especially when it comes to sharing personal data.
That’s where Mailock comes in. We are on a mission to create a secure and connected network of organisations that places sustainability and trust at the centre of operations.
Mailock is the secure messaging solution that allows you to experience all the benefits of email while ensuring your sensitive information is protected from cybercriminal activity.
Sabrina McClune
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