- Switching from opt-out to opt-in for unaddressed letterbox advertising would significantly reduce paper waste and deliver only the desired advertising.
- The Federal Council sees the main cause in the production of unaddressed advertising; a change of system is considered questionable in relation to the cost and effect.
Submitted text
The Federal Council is instructed to adapt the legislation in such a way that, in the case of unaddressed mailbox advertising from the current opt-out system to a Opt-In System is changed. Advertising shall only be received by those who explicitly wish to do so. Otherwise, no unaddressed advertising mail will be delivered, with the exception of mailings on which the delivery organizations have agreed with the consumer protection organizations (in particular mailings from public authorities, official publication organs and mailings from political parties).
Justification
In Switzerland, the opt-in solution for unaddressed advertising is to be introduced. With such a solution, in the future unnecessary mountains of paper waste avoided become. Sustainability begins at the front door and thus in one’s own mailbox. Moreover, it is a liberal approach to say when you want something and not when you don’t want something.
In principle, unaddressed advertising mail is not delivered if a “Stop advertising” sticker is affixed to a mailbox. However, there are some exceptions to this principle, which the delivery organizations have agreed on with the consumer protection organizations. These include, in particular, mailings from public authorities, official publications and mailings from political parties.
The fact is, however, that far too much unwanted advertising ends up in the mailbox and then directly in the trash, whether because no adhesive was applied or because it was ignored.
Research shows that the majority (53 percent) look at advertising only partially (28 percent) or not at all (25 percent). These mountains of paper waste can be avoided with a reversal of the system.
In Amsterdam you won’t find “Stop advertising” stickers on mailboxes, but ones with “Please advertise. The Dutch capital has already solved the problem by requiring that mailbox advertisements be Opt-out changed to an opt-in system has. According to the city, this saves 6000 tons of waste per year.
Statement of the Federal Council of 13.5.2020
The motion pursues the goal of avoiding the delivery of unsolicited advertising mail. In the view of the Federal Council, the problem addressed lies primarily due to the production of unaddressed advertising mail by the respective companies and not to the processing of delivery. The most effective way is for companies to recognize the value of a sustainable advertising policy and also pay more attention to ecological aspects when mailing. Digitization as well as the physical distribution channel offer companies a wide range of opportunities to make advertising more effective and thus reduce wastage.
The solution proposed in the motion aims at a change in the system of the recipients’ right to express their will. Today, the recipients exercise their right to refuse acceptance by submitting a “Stop advertising sticker” on their mailbox. This is a simple and effective measure, in order to reduce unwanted advertising mail. These or similar stickers must be observed by Swiss Post and private delivery organizations. For example, the Swiss Dialog Marketing Association (SDV), to which many private delivery organizations are affiliated, also states in a Code of Ethics stipulates that, as a matter of principle, delivery is to be made exclusively to mailboxes without a “Stop advertising” sticker. Complaints against disregard of the stickers can be submitted to the Swiss Fair Trading Commission.
The current opt-out principle has been in place for several decades and is well known among the population. The number of mailboxes with stop advertising stickers is high. The Benefit of a system change is questionable and out of all proportion to the effort involved. In particular, it is not to be expected that those who today disregard the will of the recipient would no longer do so as a result of the new system.