Einkaufaktuell

Einkaufaktuell (own spelling: EINKAUFAKTUELL) is an unaddressed direct mail item (advertising mail) from Deutsche Post AG that is distributed weekly in certain delivery areas in Germany to all households that are not advertising objectors. Delivery is usually on Saturdays, exceptionally also on Fridays. The carrier medium for the advertising product is a TV program guide containing the current TV program for the following week, selected TV stations that are mainly financed by advertising. Furthermore, the circular contains regional and national insert and advertisement advertising. The unaddressed mail has been distributed since autumn 2002.
Circulation and distribution area.
The carrier medium is currently printed in a run of around 20 million copies by various print shops, including the Svoboda Press print shop in Prague. "Einkaufaktuell" is currently (as of August 2010) distributed in 27 different editions in larger cities or metropolitan areas. The distribution takes place in a Polyethylene wrapping. Due to the bundling with advertising brochures, "Einkaufaktuell" is considered an advertising mail and may not be placed in mailboxes marked "no advertising" ("keine Werbung").
Environmental impact.
The Polyethylene packaging weighs 2.3 grams per issue (trial measurement 04/2008); this means that with a print run of 17.6 million pieces, the foil wrapping accounts for a total packaging weight of 40.4 tons per issue. The paper used for each issue (individual weight 3.3 grams) of over 58 tons does not yet include the regionally enclosed advertising supplements. Due to the fact that many households do not separate their advertising mailings into paper and outer packaging, the environmental impact is much higher. The issues of the carrier medium published since March 1, 2008 bear the "Blue Angel" eco-label, as they are made of 100% waste paper.