Going Greener-Reducing Junk Mail

If I had know how easy it was to reduce junk mail, I'd have done it years ago! Here's some things I've learned this month and done to reduce our household junk mail.


Native Forest Network's Guide to Stopping Junk Mail: FACTS ON JUNK MAIL!

• The average person gets only 1.5 personal letters each week, compared to 10.8 pieces of junk mail.
• Each person will receive almost 560 pieces of junk mail this year.
  
• That's 4.5 million tons of junk mail produced each year!
  
• 44% of all junk mail is thrown in the trash, unopened and unread.
  
• Approximately 40% of the solid mass that makes up our landfills is paper and paperboard waste.
  
• By the year 2010, it is predicted to make up about 48%.
  
• 100 million trees are ground up each year to produce junk mail.
  
• Lists of names and addresses used in bulk mailings are in mass data-collection networks, compiled from phone books, warranty cards, and charity donations (to name a few).
  
• Your name is typically worth 3 to 20 cents each time it is sold.

Aren't those stat's amazing? Seriously, I think my Dad and Step mom get about 10 catalogs a day in the mail!

So, how can you stop the flow of Junk? Here are some steps that I learned from No Impact Man, my new favorite site.

1) Opt out of all those credit and insurance offers. Visit OptOutPrescreen.com, the official site of the Consumer Credit Reporting Industry. (Seriously, I think I'd save a tree just by getting off Capital One's list. We get at least an offer a week from them.)

2) Contact Direct Marketing Service to get off the mailing list of national advertisers. By joining their Mail Preference Service list, you will supposedly reduce your junk mail by 75%.

3) Call the 800 number on the back of catalogs to get off their mailing list. Even if you do mail order shopping, you can still shop online and save paper! I rarely buy things by mail order, but when I do I always shop online. I love to peruse Pottery Barn's catalog, so it will be sad to say goodbye, but worth it in the long run. I do this as they come in, so it's just a few minutes here and there.

4) Another suggestion by the Native Forest Network is to get off sweepstakes mailing lists. I didn't do this because I don't know the last time I've gotten any mailing from any of them. But,
to remove your name from major nationwide sweepstakes mailers, contact:

• Publishers Clearinghouse, 101 Channel Drive, Port Washington, NY 11050 Phone: (800) 645-9242
• Readers Digest, Readers Digest Road, Pleasantville, NY 10570 Phone: (800) 234-9000
• American Family Publishers, PO Box 62000, Tampa, FL 33662 Phone: (800) 237-2400

I encourage you to do these steps to reduce all our junk mail! The first two will take you about five minutes each, so do it now before you forget! I'd love to see how many participate, so leave a comment if you do it!