Junk
mail is more than a nuisance: unsolicited mail has a tremendous negative impact
on the environment. At least 100 million trees are destroyed each year to
produce junk mail, and 28 billion gallons of water are used to produce the
paper. All of these resources are wasted to produce items many people don't even
look at: about half of all junk mail is thrown out unopened or unread, and the
rate of response to junk mail is less than 2 percent. The result is that more
than 4 million tons of paper is wasted every year, according to the
Native Forest Network (now known as the WildWest Institute).
Junk
mail also has a direct negative economic impact as well. An estimated $320
million of local taxes are used to dispose of junk mail annually, and
transportation of junk mail costs about $550 million per year, not to mention
the air pollution generated during transport.
You
can fight back. Read on to learn about effective ways to reduce and even
eliminate junk mail in 15 minutes or less!
-
Register to have your name removed from mailing
lists. There are two main resources you can access
to accomplish this. One is a free service called
the
National Do Not Mail List, offered by
DirectMail.com, which makes the list available to
mailing list owners and users for one reason only:
so they can remove (or add) your name to their
lists based on your stated preferences. When you
complete the online National Do Not Mail List
form, you can indicate if there are any types of
mailings you would like to receive (a list is
provided). You can choose as many or as few—or
none—as you want. DirectMail.com will contact you
every six months via e-mail so you can review and
update your preferences. The second service is the
Mail Preference Service, which historically
was free but which now charges $1. You can
register online or by regular mail. Your request
is good for five years, and you cannot state
preferences. (Note: Neither DirectMail.com
nor the Mail Preference Service can guarantee that
your name will be removed from ALL mailing lists
on which you appear. Therefore you may want to try
some of the suggestions stated below as well.)
-
When you order something from a catalog, your name
and address is likely given to Abacus, an alliance
of mostly catalog and publishing companies. To
have your information removed from Abacus, contact
them with your name (including any middle
initial), current address, and previous address if
you moved recently. Abacus can be reached either
via e-mail (optout@abacus-us.com)
or by mail: Abacus, Inc., PO Box 1478, Broomfield
CO 80038.
-
To stop sexually oriented advertising, contact
your local post office and ask for Form 2150 to
stop mail from a particular company, or Form 1500.
-
Whenever you subscribe to a magazine, join a
group, or make a donation and supply them with
your name and address, ask that they not rent your
name to other companies. Your request may be
ignored, so it is best to contact them a few weeks
later and make the request again.
-
To be removed from the mailing list of major
sweepstakes mailers, contact the following:
Publishers Clearinghouse, by phone: (800-645-9242)
or by mail: Consumer & Privacy Affairs, Publishers
Clearinghouse, 382 Channel Drive, Port Washington
NY 11050; or by e-mail:
privacychoices@pchmail.com. And Readers Digest
Sweepstakes, phone (800-310-6261) or by mail:
Reader's Digest, PO Box 50005, Prescott AZ
86301-5005.
-
Contact your banks and credit card companies and
tell them not to release your name, address,
social security number, e-mail address, or phone
number to anyone for any type of marketing or
promotional reasons.
-
If you move, do not fill out the permanent change
of address (COA) form supplied by the post office.
Permanent COA information is provided to third
parties. Instead, complete the temporary (10
month) form and notify companies and others on
your own. Address changes can be done easily by
completing the change of address form found on the
back of bills.
-
Don't mark your junk mail "return to sender" or
return it in the postage-paid envelop and request
to be removed from their mailing list. The fact
that you responded, even in a negative way (and
expect your request to be ignored), usually means
your name and address will be used again by the
company that purchased it. Instead, contact the
company that mailed the items to you and ask to be
removed from their list. If there is no phone
number on the junk mail, you may find the company
on the Internet. If no phone number is supplied,
make your request via e-mail.
-
To eliminate handbills from being left in your
door, put up a "no handbills" or "no soliciting"
sign on your door.
-
To eliminate extra or redundant telephone books,
contact the producer of the book (should be listed
inside the front of the book) and ask to be
removed from their list.
- For catalogs that "slip through" and continue to be
delivered even after you have contacted MPS and
Abacus, here's an easy plan:
- Choose a convenient place to collect your
catalogs, such as in a basket next to the phone .
- Whenever you have a spare few moments, select one
or more catalogs, call the toll-free customer
service number listed (usually on or near the
order form), and ask to be removed from their
mailing list.
- Place the catalog in your recycle bin!
- An optional fourth step is to help an elderly friend
or neighbor reduce his or her junk mail by offering
to do the same service for them.
For more information on how to eliminate junk mail
and similar unwanted printed materials, visit the
Privacy Rights Clearninghouse.
