According to the Direct Marketing Association, the average household receives around 350 pieces of unsolicited mail through their letter box every year. Each one of them is responsible for at least 19g of CO2 being released into the atmosphere. Not to mention a huge amount of frustration on the part of the householder. Imagine if, in one fell swoop, you could cut that carbon footprint and keep your letterbox clear of unwanted marketing bumph?

Good Energy partner Green Preference Service (GPS), is a new facility that allows consumers to do just that. Registering is free and once you have a GPS account you have control over how direct mail is posted to you. They’ve been shortlisted in the Small Business of the Year category of the inaugural Business Green Leaders Award 2011 (our CEO Juliet is one of the judges); particularly impressive considering GPS has only been in operation since March this year. The nomination, says CEO Paul Anderson, illustrates that GPS is “a really simple but powerful idea. It shows we’re getting something right and that it resonates with people.”

“Between the group of us who set GPS up,” says Paul “we’ve been responsible for a lot of direct mail marketing in the UK and overseas. I personally have 20 years background in the industry. I suppose you could see GPS as our midlife crisis; we’re atoning for our sins!”

Unlike suppression and preference services, GPS is a switching service; it gives power to consumers. Paul explains how it works: “Setting up an account with us gives people a unique GPS WebBox allowing them to indicate the direct mail they’d like to receive through the post and which they’d prefer to view online. Businesses signed up to GPS contact us to find out who uses our service and instead of printing a letter, leaflet or brochure they place an electronic copy in your private WebBox where you can view it (or not) at a time that suits you. Consumers like it because it means they can still see all the great offers and deals businesses have to offer but are able to view them in the way they want. Businesses benefit because they save money on printing – the Direct Marketing Association estimates that UK companies spend about £10 billion a year on direct mail.

“GPS give people the tools to make a huge difference in the background while also making their life easier,” Paul says. “In order to really have an effect on climate change and carbon emissions we need to think of solutions that benefit consumers, big businesses and the planet.”

The winners of the BusinessGreen Leaders Awards 2011 will be announced on Thursday July 7^th.