When it comes to eco initiatives, the real challenge isn’t devising sophisticated plans like wind energy programs, observed Gale Ward, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Minneapolis-based ecoEnvelopes, it’s developing practical, everyday products that help reduce our overall environmental footprint. This is exactly what Ward’s business partner, Ann DeLaVergne—ecoEnvelopes’ founder, CEO and president—did when she designed an efficient reusable envelope.
A former organic farmer and beekeeper who cares deeply about the environment, DeLaVergne was in the habit of saving large envelopes for reuse—despite the complex camouflage they required to be mailed a second time. Then, one day in 2002 while sorting mail, she came across an envelope printed with a request to, “Reuse this envelope.” Unfortunately, there wasn’t an easy way to do so.
DeLaVergne, an award-winning commercial photographer and seasoned graphic designer, tapped into her creativity to handcraft reusable envelope prototypes at her kitchen table—easy-open perforations in the paper were made with her sewing machine. “Older [reusable envelope] designs are difficult for people to use; these are so simple,” reported DeLaVergne. “There are two keys to remailing envelopes: how you manage the postage and how you reseal the envelope. I spent about a week opening envelopes at my kitchen table, closely watching what I was doing.”
DeLaVergne’s ecoEnvelopes feature two separate gum or peel-and-seal strips on the products to facilitate outgoing and return mailings. “I also had to figure out a way to remove barcodes via a tear strip,” continued DeLaVergne. “I just turned the envelope upside down and [created a] long tear strip that removed barcodes. So, the reseal strip is actually on the bottom when it goes out.”
DeLaVergne’s first live mail test included 10 envelopes which were sent to friends across the country. “Every one of them came back,” she proudly recalled. DeLaVergne continued making envelopes for the next two years, devoting herself to perfecting ecoEnvelopes. She received grants from the Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance and the Eileen Fisher Foundation, and won supporters including the former CEO of one of the largest envelope manufacturers in the United States.
Soon, DeLaVergne was in Washington meeting with the United States Postal Service (USPS) and key people in the industry. “It became a community whose goal was to help the environment; we were working on something that could make a significant difference,” she said. With consumers driving demand for environmentally friendly products, corporations greening their operations and the USPS supporting green initiatives, DeLaVergne’s timing was perfect.
The USPS has approved the high-speed machinable two-way envelopes which work seamlessly with existing inserters, postal processing and remittance equipment. The products are manufactured exclusively from FSC- and SFI-certified papers, contain a minimum of 30 percent post-consumer waste content and feature soy- and water-based inks and bio cell window films. Besides patch envelopes and window designs, ecoEnvelopes is exploring some parcel opportunities. Ward and DeLaVergne also have a new, two-way postal concept that has been approved by the USPS. “We did a national test mailing with an Environmental nonprofit which was quite successful,” said Ward.
“We now have an entire portfolio of reusable envelope products designed to meet the needs of mailers and the ways they prefer to work,” she continued. “There is a two-way bang tail and a conversion envelope for statements that goes out as a 6x9”, but converts to a No. 9 so it operates seamlessly in the remittance process. We also have two-way greeting cards, green wedding invitations and even green packaging solutions. Think about it, when was the last time something really new happened with envelopes?”
The product also protects budgets by eliminating the need to print, store, insert and track a separate reply envelope. While ecoEnvelopes may cost a little more to manufacture, they are still less expensive than using two envelopes. End-users are reducing paper waste and reporting higher response rates. Suggested markets are nonprofits, direct mailers, statement mailers, financial institutions, utility companies and the government.
The products come in custom sizes, as well as standard styles, and are also recyclable. “The fiber content in envelopes is longer—which is necessary for high-quality recycled paper—so ecoEnvelopes are high-value recycled products,” said Ward.
“People don’t realize something as small as an envelope can make a difference,” added DeLaVergne, “especially when more than 80 billion reply envelopes are mailed in the United States each year. My purpose is to take a product that people use everyday and make it more environmentally responsible; it’s my passion. It drives me forward everyday.”
For more information, visit www.ecoenvelopes.com or call (888) 428-4364. PPR
Saving the Environment
Reusable ecoEnvelopes offer significant environmental savings. The benefits calculated below assume the use of one million ecoEnvelopes:
• Greenhouse gases avoided: 36,986 pounds CO2 equivalent
• Wood saved: 23 tons
• Total energy conserved: 249 million BTU
• Wastewater avoided: 123,989 gallons
• Solid waste eliminated: 14,809 pounds
• Hazardous air pollutants avoided: 14 pounds
(Estimates made using the Environmental Defense Paper Calculator, www.papercalculator.org.)
- People:
- Ann DeLaVergne
- Gale Ward
- Places:
- Minneapolis