The public will be able to opt out from receiving unsolicited flyers by contacting a single website rather than three different services at the moment. Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said this would give people across the UK "more control" over what they get. It has already been agreed that all adverts will be fully recyclable in the future as part of an initiative with the direct marketing industry. However, the voluntary decision only applies to members of the Direct Marketing Association - generally larger firms - and is unlikely to stop small, local companies such as restaurants and decorators from carrying out their mail shots. The average UK household receives more than 370 items of unsolicited paper mail a year, the majority of it unaddressed.
The Direct Marketing Association said its goal was to "eliminate" unwanted mail entirely. It said it would seek to persuade more firms to use "suppression lists" - which follow people's opt-out requests - and stop mail being delivered to addresses once inhabitants have moved or died. "We know that many types of advertising mail are welcomed by customers such as supermarket discount offers," Mike Lordan, the organisation's chief of operations, said. "Of course, untargeted and irrelevant advertising mail is not welcome. We are keen to ensure people are able to make an informed choice about whether or not they want to receive advertising mail.
To read the full article visit BBC News or to find out more about the initiative see the DMA website.
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