These days, everyone's thinking green -- in terms of saving money as well as adopting business practices that are not detrimental to the planet. Cutting down on the amount of paper we use and throw away is a common solution for organizations that want to shrink their carbon footprints quickly.

As Greg Barber told Ecolibris, one inexpensive and effective way to make your company more environmentally friendly is by selecting recycled paper on which to print direct mail marketing messages.

Sometimes, people incorrectly assume that greener options have to be more expensive, but he notes there are several companies which offer products that are recycled, of high quality and competitively priced compared to "non-environmental papers."

When planning a direct mail campaign, put thought into the material, not just the message, as both factors can have an impact on the customer's response to the piece.

Of course, the best way to reduce waste is not to make it in the first place. Consider adopting a contact data quality solution that can help you remove duplicate, incorrect or outdated entries. Active list management can make a major difference in the number of undeliverable direct mail pieces your organization sends out.