The Chamber

Opposing Do Not Mail Legislation

Despite the growth of electronic communications, the mail remains an important vehicle for commerce, advertising, and information exchange. Advertising mail is now under threat. The growing number of Do Not Mail bills introduced in different states is a cause for concern for the mailing community.

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) on September 24, 2008, updated its report titled “Do Not Mail Initiatives and Their Potential Effects: Possible Issues for Congress.”

In 1972 DMA instituted the Mail Preference Service that offered consumers a mechanism to opt-out of all prospecting mailings.  That service has been updated to DMAchoice, a free service that provides consumers a variety of choices to limit prospecting mail marketing offers.  Since consumers have this self-regulatory option to limit mail marketing offers, DMA is actively opposing do not mail registry legislation in the states and localities.

We need your support to continue our work and commitment to this fight to keep the mail channel open.  Visit Mail Moves America to learn more.

Learn about the latest – and the history – of “do not mail” legislation.

• 2011 Legislation
• 2010 Legislation
• 2009 Legislation
• 2008 Legislation
• 2007 Legislation

Informing the FTC “Green Guides” Review

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) first provided guidance to advertisers concerning environmental claims when it issued its original Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims, or "Green Guides," in 1992.  The FTC most recently revised those guides in 1998, but much has changed since then.  

DMA agreed with the FTC's decision in 2010 to re-examine the current Green Guides, revise the original provisions and, where necessary, supplement the guides with new provisions designed to address changing consumer perceptions and new environmental claims.  

On December 10th, 2010, DMA responded to the FTC’s request for public comments on its proposed revised Green Guides.  DMA’s comments focused on the following topics:

• Through its Committee on Environment and Social Responsibility (CESR), DMA encourages its members to use environmental best practices and provides them with the information and tools to do that.

• DMA supports the FTC's efforts to provide clearer guidance concerning environmental marketing claims, which we believe will be of benefit to consumers and marketers alike.

• DMA agrees that qualifying a general environmental claim should be sufficient to reduce consumer misperceptions that an advertiser is claiming that its product has specific, unstated benefits, or no negative environmental impact.

• DMA believes that environmental certifications and seals of approval should be judged on their merits, and that certification and seal of approval programs created by industry associations should not be assumed to be less valid or credible than those created by other entities. 

Greening the Mail

The DMA’s Committee on Environment and Social Responsibility promotes the core value that its members use environmental best practices to market smarter. For years the Committee has been informing the leadership of the DMA and its government affairs team about environmental sustainability in the area of paper and digital communications to ensure legislative and regulatory proposals do not stifle marketing due to common misunderstandings of marketers’ environmental impact. It presents key, fact-based talking points for media inquiries to push back on environmental claims that all marketing is wasteful and must be eliminated. It provides DMA members with a range of toolkits/training and thought leadership meant to improve marketer’s environmental footprint and offers new tactics that lead to better sales and a positive view of marketers by the public. Most notably these include membership programs such as the Green 15 Toolkit and the Recycle Please campaign.

Learn everything you need to know about operating your business responsibly in the DMA Corporate Responsibility Resource Center.