You’ve Got Mail!

BACKSTORY

In the 1990’s AOL launched one of the most culturally impactful mailing programs to date, sending out more than a billion CDs with free trial software.

Of course, AOL didn’t just mail out the CDs, they gave them out at NASCAR events, packaged them with magazines, put them in cereal boxes, and even froze them and packaged them along with steaks. The reach of the program was dramatic, “You’ve Got Mail!” became a household catch phrase, and the impact the internet would go on to have has been nothing short of life changing.

It makes you wonder if the people packaging the CDs, and mailing them out, had any idea that they were executing a program that would forever minimize their own industry and way of life.

Fast forward to the present day and the Mailing Industry is still around, but forever changed. Fewer companies are mailing out their communications, invoices and marketing, but the need for both print and mail still runs strong in spite of the global landscape shifting more and more to digital communications. Yet as that change seems to be levelling off, another industry change is directly upon us as governments and consumers alike demand that environmental impact is front of mind when executing business decisions.

For years now we have seen companies switch over to recyclable materials when it comes to packaging so that they could be more environmentally friendly. Tim Horton’s for instance, has had recyclable coffee cups for years, but the lids had to be put in the garbage, not that many of us followed those instructions. Earlier this year they ran a 12-week test across Prince Edward Island that saw those lids replaced with fibre based, plastic-free, counterparts. All to reduce single-use plastics.

The Mailing Industry is no different. Mid-2025, Canada Post will officially stop accepting Neighbourhood Mail™ items wrapped in plastic. Single use polywrap, like what your local newspaper would come in, is often used because it protects the contents.

Kevin Song, Manager of Smartmail Marketing Channels with Canada Post told us that an internal investigation confirmed “that poly bags and wraps are, by overall material volume, the single largest contributor to plastics in the mail value chain.”

Song adds that, “Canada Post is committed to environmental sustainability. That’s why we decided it’s important to minimize plastics coming through the mail.”

In less than eight months, any Neighbourhood Mail you receive from Canada Post, such as flyers or other promotional items, will no longer be wrapped in single use plastics.

However, you would be wrong to think that these policies are localized to the Canadian market.

Across Western Europe similar policies have come into place. The German government decided that all government organizations, including the post office, were no longer allowed to do mass amounts of polybanding. With similar policies in place in France, Belgium and many other countries.

At the manufacturing level, these policies impact equipment tremendously. Companies will have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars, maybe even millions, into equipment that can poly-band or polywrap their mailings and must now look for new solutions.

One of the places these companies will look is in the Netherlands, specifically to Buhrs Packaging Technology. Founded in 1908, Buhrs has more than 100 years of experience as a solution provider in the packaging industry and more than 60 years in the paper handling business. Buhrs currently has an established presence in more than 40 countries, including locally in Canada through Insource Corp, a member of the Sustainable Mailing Group.

Buhrs currently offers three main systems for paper wrapping. The 3000 is a generic poly/paper wrap system that can finish up to 15,000 products per hour. The 5000 is exclusively a paper wrap system capable of running at up to twice the speed of the 3000. And the 6000, the paper/poly machine that Deutsche Post relies on for paper banding. However, there is still demand for polywrapping.

“It depends which part of the world you’re in,” notes Dick Verheij, an Advisor to, and former owner of Buhrs. “In [the] U.S.A. polywrapping is still a big thing, same in Japan. Western Europe is pushing for the paper-wrap, but it’s not a world-wide thing. Maybe that will still come, let’s hope it [does].”

Why the reluctance to change in these markets? Perhaps differing political views, but most likely the determining factor comes down to cost.

“These solutions, we’ve had for a long time,” remarks Verheij. “This is kind of a second-wave in paper-wrapping. We saw this before, but it didn’t continue because it was too expensive at the time.”

Though government policy does force the change to be more environmentally friendly, it doesn’t necessarily provide any protection to companies who will have to invest heavily in new equipment. Investing in equipment, retraining staff, and converting workflows isn’t something that happens overnight, and it may take years for companies to recoup those initial investments.

So why do the work? In fact, why start doing the work nearly a full year before the new Canada Post policies come into effect?

To quote John Querques, Vice President of Sales and Marketing with AdMill Group. “We believe it is a necessary step towards a more sustainable future.”

John would go on to share how AdMill Group has been seeking environmentally friendly solutions long before anyone told them they had to. “Four years ago, we embarked on a search for alternatives to plastic packaging, striving to find more environmentally friendly solutions. While supporting these initiatives, we also explored new products, such as a paper packaging “jacket”, which we tested over a two-year period. However, this option was met with logistical as well as cost challenges rendering the solution impractical.”

If you can’t find a way to economically approach environmentalism, what do you do? Do you stop trying and simply focus on making the biggest profit possible?

No, says Querques. “Our ongoing commitment to sustainability drove us to invest further in research, ultimately leading to a new approach that preserves our existing cost structure while offering an eco-friendlier solution acceptable to consumers, our partners and clients.”

Happily, companies like AdMill Group exist, trailblazing a path towards sustainability in the mailing industry. With the Buhrs 6000 and other equipment joining their, fleet they’re one step closer to reducing their environmental footprint, but they’re not done yet notes Querques.

“At Admill, we are dedicated to supporting these efforts by sourcing paper made from recycled fibers and produced through certified sustainable forestry practices or alternative paper utilizing fiber sources like agricultural byproducts and fast-growing plants. In addition to sustainable sourcing, we are committed to reducing energy consumption and advancing zero waste initiatives. This includes collaborating with governments and local agencies to enhance recycling infrastructure and improve overall efficiency. By embracing these measures, AdMill is poised to significantly reduce its environmental impact and contribute to a more sustainable future, fully aligned with global environmental goals.”

Times have changed, the AOL CD program that used billions of one-use plastics could not exist in the same fashion in 2024. The mailing industry was forever changed with the widespread introduction of the internet, but it hasn’t disappeared and likely never will. Direct mail programs offer guaranteed deliveries and don’t pose any cybersecurity threats. It would be foolish though, to think that the mailing industry can exist unchanged. Luckily there are companies like AdMill Group, manufacturers like Buhrs, and organizations like the Sustainable Mailing Group who are always seeking out the latest innovations to keep moving us forwards collectively.