Email, the perception is, we press a button and our message is sent with little to no environmental impact. Unfortunately, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Like everything we do, there is an environmental impact to the emails we send.
Our Email Carbon Footprint
A Carbon Footprint is described as:
“The amount of carbon dioxide and other carbon compounds emitted due to the consumption of fossil fuels by a particular person, group, etc.”
A Carbon FootPrint is totally comprised of direct and indirect emissions of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and other climate-changing greenhouse gasses. It is a way for us to measure and compare the effect various activities, organizations, and individuals have on the environment.
There is a long list of daily activities that contribute to your individual carbon footprint. Some of those tasks, like sending emails or text messages might seem as if they really wouldn’t contribute. Because of this misconception, emails and text messages seem to be used more frequently and are often touted as eco-friendly. This is because there isn’t a tangible or visible waste contribution. The reality is that for every average email we send, 4 grams or .14 ounces of CO2 equivalent (gCO2e) goes into the atmosphere.
As phys.org put into perspective, “the carbon output of hitting “send” on 65 emails is on par with driving an average-sized car a kilometer (0.6 of a mile).” This is just if you are sending quick and relatively short emails back and forth. If you are adding a large attachment to an email, you can multiply that individual email amount of 4 grams by 10 and still be just shy of the average.
So, What is The Answer?
While email is a part of daily business, and many of us could not function without it, we need to recognize that it isn’t necessarily a more eco-friendly method of communication. It has a place corresponding with clients and coworkers, but is it the most effective when it comes to marketing?
Think of how many emails you receive and don’t read. You know the ones, you signed up for 10% off at a store you went to once and now they email you 3 times a week. Whether or not you read those emails, they still leave a carbon footprint. Direct mail marketing has a response rate at 3.7%. Email marketing has a response rate of .1%. By being more effective, direct mail marketing, can be inherently less wasteful.
Print marketing and communications often get a bad rap for not being eco-friendly. The reality is, the bulk of printing materials used are renewable resources. The paper industry alone is responsible for planting 1.7 million more trees per day than it cuts. Also, a large portion of direct mail pieces are printed on recyclable material and much of it goes on to be recycled once again.
Yes, email is easy, but remember even though it isn’t directly visible, it does have an environmental impact.
http://phys.org/news/2015-11-carbon-footprint-email.html
http://www.targetmarketingmag.com/post/direct-mail-know-response/
https://web.archive.org/web/20161101044135/https://wallacecarlson.com/ink-and-innovation/the-environmental-impact-of-email/
Conclusion
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