If you are anything like me, your mailbox gets inundated from time to time with unwanted mail. Lots of it. In the last week alone I have gotten a magazine I never subscribed to, a postcard reminder from my dentist about my appointment (and also got an email reminder) a newsletter from one company touting how green they are, a letter from my electric company asking if I want to be part of their green energy program, for $6 a month (I already am, and now am wondering how much of my money they are spending on annoying mailers – when they send a monthly newsletter and bill me online?) and 2 catalogs I never requested. Also, yet another final reminder to renew a subscription for a magazine I do not want. Not to mention those weekly newspaper shopping circulars that nobody ever looks at. Whew! That’s a lot of paper.
According to the folks at About.com here are some interesting facts:
- 5.6 million tons of catalogs and other direct mail advertisements end up in U.S. landfills annually.
- The average American household receives unsolicited junk mail equal to 1.5 trees every year—more than100 million trees for all U.S. households combined.
- 44 percent of junk mail is thrown away unopened, but only half that much junk mail (22 percent) is recycled.
- Americans pay $370 million annually to dispose of junk mail that doesn’t get recycled.
- On average, Americans spend 8 months opening junk mail in the course of their lives.
By opting to remove our names from mailing lists, we can reduce the amount of mail we receive significantly. One source that is quite effective is The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) where you can list your address and what you do, and do NOT want to receive. There are many other good lists removal sources, some free and some with a fee.
In the case of the magazine that landed on my doorstep uninvited, I had to call the magazine publisher (who told me that it was actually sent by an outside magazine placement source), so that required an extra call. My electric company? Calling them tomorrow (I have requested to be taken off their mailing list online and also in writing) Let’s hope third time is the charm. The dentist? Asking them when I go in for my appointment to notify me of appointments online only.
It may take a couple of tries, and sometimes it takes time before you are removed from the lists, but don’t give up. Can we completely eliminate all mail from coming our way? Probably not, but why not do what we can? It is definitely worth the effort it takes to reduce the paper that comes into our lives. I do not want 1.5 trees to be destroyed on my behalf, just so I can be annoyed when they clog up my mailbox.
What strategies do you have for reducing your junk mail?
