Green Options » junk+mail

Tip o’ the Day: Freedom From Catalogs

Rebecca Carter — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 13:59:25 +0000

We've talked about Junk Mail before, but today we wanted to highlight a specific piece of junk mail: catalogs. These aren't actually junk, because at some point you probably requested it to arrive to your home. Of course, maybe you didn't request it: you could have purchased something online from the store and since then, catalogs just arrive. Even prior residents of your address might have gotten your address off the list.

The truth is, catalogs are obsolete. Everything we could ever want to see and more is online, and trees are getting chopped down so that we can flip through a couple of pages before pitching it in the trash.

It's easy to get off the list for catalogs. Each catalog has an (800) number listed on it for customer service. Just give that number a call and request to be removed from the mailing list. You'll want to make sure to have the catalog in front of you, because it may contain some codes that will make the process go even faster.

This doesn't just have to be at home, either. If you visit your parents' house and they've got catalogs piling up, offer to get them off of the lists. If your office receives tons of catalogs for exciting things like fax machines and toner cartridges, offer to get them off of those lists, as well. It's fast, it's simple, and it will make your life a lot less cluttered! I can hear the trees breathing sighs of relief as I type.

Rebecca says: I'm currently helping some friends get removed from some catalog mailing lists. I've done over 80 removals in the last week. I'm helping them, and I feel great about helping the environment!

Tip o’ the Day: War on Junk Mail

Rebecca Carter — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 13:02:59 +0000

Each year Americans receive over 4 million tons of junk mail, which came from 100 million trees. And most of it goes straight to the trash. By stopping your junk mail, you will save trees, water, and energy. All of that plus an empty mailbox? Sounds great!

A couple of months ago we told you how to get rid of junk mail on your own. That advice still stands - it works. However, if you want to do less work on your part, but still get rid of the junk, there are options. As reader Shawn suggested to us a little while back, there are services that you can pay to stop the direct mail for you.

He recommended GreenDimes who you can pay $4/month or $36/year to stop your junk mail. Plus they plant a tree on your behalf for each month you are with the service. He loved the service: "I've been using them for a while now and I get zero junk mail. I used to get a minimum of 1-3 pieces every day."

TerraPass recently did a post on GreenDimes, and customers came out of the woodwork to comment on the post, some with rave reviews, others not so much. GreenDimes even chimed in on the conversation. Check it out. One of the commenters mentioned a similar (competitive) service: Stop the Junk Mail, saying that she had a good experience with them. There are several services available for stopping the junk mail. GreenDimes even addresses this in their FAQ.

So check out junk mail removal services, or do it yourself. The important thing is to do something!

Rebecca says: I haven't tried a paid service, I removed myself on my own, and it worked great. There are many people that love services like GreenDimes, however, and that's cool by me! My biggest recommendation would be to just start working on it, one way or another…the problem doesn't solve itself and in the meantime trees, water, and energy are being wasted.

Please send me your tips! Today's tip comes to us from GO reader Shawn. Thanks, Shawn!

Junk Mail Reduction (stats source)

Tip o’ the Day: Please Mister Postman, No More Junk Mail!

Rebecca Carter — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 02:01:44 +0000

No longer are the days when we go to our mailbox and find it full. If you find yourself with a full mailbox, it is unlikely that your friends and family have suddenly switched back to snail mail. The more likely culprit is junk mail, and it comes in all shapes and sizes.

Junk mail comes from many different sources, and while it should be easier to remove yourself from the mailing lists, it is possible to get rid of junk mail once and for all. However, we must warn you - there will be days that you go to the mailbox and find it absolutely and completely empty!

First, visit the Direct Marketing Association's Mail Preference Service, fill out the form, pay $1 and your name will be removed from most mailing lists. Second, call 1 (888) 5-OPT-OUT to remove your name from those never-ending credit card offers. Third, any other mail you receive such as store catalogs or items from organizations of which you are on their mailing list, you'll need to contact each one directly and request removal.

Finally, you'll want to get rid of those local fliers. These seem to be the most bulky and frequent of all junk mail. These local fliers arrive with a "Current Resident" address card. Use the return address information on this card to find out who is sending these fliers and contact them directly. (If the company is ADVO or Shopwise, remove your address here.)

Rebecca says: The few minutes that it takes to go through these steps is really worth it. Imagine the trash and trees that you are saving, not to mention the headaches! Follow these steps and in 6-8 weeks, your mailbox will be almost empty!

Mail Preference Service

ADVO Consumer Support

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