I did a post a few weeks ago on how to stop junk mail (after you click, scroll down) and since then, I have been taking the advice of 41pounds.org on ways to reduce my carbon footprint and stop the gastly inconvenience of junk mail.
I wanted to share some information that I didn't know until I had the help of 41pounds and wanted to pass along the wisdom....
#1. We have rights - we can stop junk mail. We just have to contact all the companies that send us junk mail and ask them to stop, or better yet, get companies like 41pounds to help you with the contacting (they make it really easy!)
#2. If you move, ask for a mail forwarding form NOT a change of address, as the post office sells your new address information (I feel so slimy thinking about that!) but really good to know huh?
#3. Supermarket club cards are an instant way to poof out that mailbox, they track our habits not to give us great savings (ok, maybe that's some of it) but they use it to market and cram our mailboxe full of landfill crap. No club cards anymore conscious spenders!
#4. When you donate, you have to request that they do not sell, share or rent your information as they most likely will.
Help save the planet, be mindful when you spend and know that as a conscious customer you have choices and there are great services to help stop junk mail
45 comments:
I hate junk mail. I recently moved and I was able to escape some of it (granted it is probably still being sent out to someone) but I still get much random mail to "current resident". Every time I try to cancel these things, I get nice people on the phone, but the letters never stop no matter how many times I try.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I'm going to get on all of this a.s.a.p. The heads up is greatly appreciated. I've hated junk mail long before I clued into the environmental aspect of it. Now...don't get me started.
Cheers
My father died 6 years ago and I sold his home; then had his mail forwarded to my office address.
I have never responded to a single letter sent to him after his death. But I still receive several letters addressed to him each week.
These are glossy advertisements, and must cost about 50ȼ each for postage. You'd think that after six years the loser advertisers would get the point.
I even still get jury duty summons for my dad even though he would be 102 years old now.
Oh, Thank you so much. I dread the mail because of all that junk Mail...
I don't like reading it, sorting it or killing trees behind it and wasting all that paper makes me cringe...
I suggest advertisers use online soap boxes where they can store their "very special" (this is sarcastic) offers.
People who want to buy something can surf and find their special offers or coupons and we don't have to get junk mail.
I travel a lot. I may be gone for weeks or months and when I get home and have this pile of Junk mail I get in a down right foul mood.
I cant go in my office... I just don't want to deal with it.
I did hire a Personal Assistant just to handle things like this but I guess they got tired too so I am looking for another assistant in the Napa/Vallejo area.
Im nice as long as I don't have to read the junk mail.
ha ha ha
Oh, I can post the info on the You Are a CEO website which is for small business owners.
www.youareaceo.com
Junk mail is such a waste. I -- along with Santa, Donder and Blitzen and all the other junk mail haters -- sit ponderings how to stop junk mail, especially at Christmas time. I have already started to receive pre-printed Christmas card samples (unusable because they have the company's advertising on one side of them) by the score. Your tips are great. Thank you! Thank you!
You can still take advantage of the club card savings at supermarkets without giving them your information. Just ask for a card and tell them you'll fill out the info and bring it in on your next visit. Viola! You get the savings, and they don't get your info. I have cards at all the stores I shop at, and they know nothing about me. Mwahahahaha!
That's all my mail was today was JUNK!! Augh! I tend to turn it over to my children to color on. Thanks for all the info on how to get rid of it all. I just did a post on my blog about Going Green and was looking for more ideas, thank you!
http://momof4girls.blogspot.com/
Merci, merci. I accept that advertisers want to pitch their product at me, and that it's someone's job to come up with this detritus, so I pretty much have an email account dedicated to crappy junkmail. I know I have a right to be free of all unwanted solicitation, but I feel that by supporting electronic junk mail (ie allowing it in my faux-mailbox) I might encourage more companies to go strictly electronic with their meaningless posts. The lesser of two evils: less garbage and more spam in my unused email account. Maybe I've made too many compromises to the junkmail industry, but what the hell...
Good post. Junk mail ticks me off as well. In fact, I wrote a similar post that compliments this one quite well (in my opinion) on my site LivSimpl.com. Check out http://tinyurl.com/yuxwwq if you're interested.
comThanks for the tips Three Leaf. I too, dread going through all that junk mail that seems to keep coming in the post. But I never really thought about doing anything to stop it.
Well, now I probably will try out some of your tips.
I know of someone who adapted their high efficiency wood-burning furnace to take junk mail... See? Everything has a purpose.
I have a P.O. Box, so I use extra precaution (and thus extra time) with my junk mail by tearing my name and address section out of everything before I throw it away.
I have heard of people going through the waste baskets at the post office getting other people's mail out of it and doing who knows what with it.
One comment was made that people can use those credit card mailings...just change the address on them and leaving your name...and receive a credit card to use IN YOUR NAME! Pretty scarey!!
Most junk mail isn't mail, it comes as "door hangers" or tossed in plastic bags on the door step. Recycle the paper and reuse the bags.
Yes, all your personal information is sold, particularly loyalty plans from retail stores, frequent flyers, supermarkets, and your utility bills, motor vehicle bureau, etc. It's a business, many companies use these lists (which can be quite sophisticated) to grow their business (which just might be green) and it's paying someone a wage.
Loyalty plans make more on selling your information than they do bringing your business in. I try to shop at stores that don't use them (they add a lot of cost to the products), but it's almost hopeless.
Yes, it's annoying, and yes, you provided good tips ... but seriously, it's only mail. Try: 1. go to your mailbox, grab the mail. 2. before you enter your house, stand at your outdoor recycle bin. 3. toss in the stuff you don't want. Then the stuff never enters your house!
Seriously? No more club cards? Everything would be so much more expensive. I know that the average savings are really only about 5 dollars per total purchase, but if you consider how that adds up, you really save quite a bit...
Thanks, will do that. Good info.
Good to know! I never thought about this before and junk mail is such a waste of materials.
Great ideas!
Also, something else to think about - I choose the option, if it's available, for "paperless billing" for all of my bills.
I get e-bills instead and I love it. Not only do I save paper and reduce waste, but I also save my privacy as well.
We've had our credit card or doctor bills go to the wrong address, and there's nothing like not knowing who knows your personal business!
Chelle B.
Junk mail is a real waste of resources, the advertisers should send out advertisements in a useful manner, maybe a pack tissue papers with their advertisement written on it? n_n
Instead of putting the junk into landfill, you can put it into recycling bins.
Man, this is one of the many things that bugs me about America. Such a waste of resources for a very low return. I think i will post on my blog about this topic.
http://why-i-hate-america.blogspot.com/
Great site, lots of good information here. Thanks for sharing!
amidanathank u soooo much!
i can honestly say that i do not have a problem with physical junk mail. now junk mail as it concerns my e-mail address, that is a whole new topic. hotmail accounts stay flooded with junk mail and i wish there was some 'green' solution to rid e-mail boxes of junk mail. LOL.
www.MarcusLangford.com
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The Mind For Revolution Is Here
the shopping cards though save a ton of money.. can you request to the individual stores not to send those twice weekly 11 pound circulars that fill the mailbox needlessly? I guess it's time I asked..
nice site..
Greg
www.denvertvguy.com
Well said, I wish more people would do this!
In Canada for companies who use CDMA, you can write to them to have your name put on a Do not mail or call list. Some companies scrub against that list.
Other companies maintain a private listing- many of the telecoms do. Like primus. Then you get scrubbed out of their mass mail outs and calling.
the post office sells my address?
that's terrible. i feel slimy about that, too. thanks for the good tips.
I'm so glad I found this blog. Thank you for the great tips you provide.
Speaking of saving trees I just read about some interesting new fence products over at the FENCE WIZARD blog site. www.fencewizard.blogspot.com
Very interesting. Everything from Bamboo fence to new composite vinyl material are having a very positive effect on our need to harvest forest products. Good work here - please keep it up!
Fabulous post! Thank you!!!
I do not like junkmail in any form ie: paper and electronic. I cannot see this improving because we are just wanting to save money by clipping papers or printing out from the computer. I do want to save money, but in the expense of the printing press? I think even with today's technology, we just are not ready to give up on paper. Or junk mail.
yes, It is really important that we need to spend money with caution because money is not easily earned. After read through your blog, I learn how to handle junk mail, thanks. may good things all come to you. From coolingstar9 new blogger
I really love your blog site and in particular this post. The whole junk mail thing is surely an issue. I think of just the time alone that is wasted by sorting through the junk mail. the piles of paper that will build up on the counter. How many trees where used to produce that pile. Thanks for the tips.
Nice Blog! Keep up the good work. Please check out my blog on posts like: Bee's Knees, Switching to CFL's...
YOU ARE SO RIGHT! Junk mail is such a pain! I will start using some of your tips. You did an exellent job on your blog. I am a new blogger and I was wondering if you could check mine out and tell me what you think.
Thanks,
Nick
Good info!
thank you ! if i get another supermarket circular i'm gonna choke someone with it! much needed!
omg, just didn't know that Junk Mail could be such a problem in the US. Since I come from Sri Lanka. We pretty much don't get any mail at all. lol.
This is a terrible problem-I try to recycle and I'm getting better at it, but I'd like it just STOPPED. It can be pretty overwhelming.
I cant believe that the post office sells your information! Thanks for the great tip about "forwarding" mail instead. We used to get 2 catalogs from stores we shopped at- one for my husband and one for me- there are at least 2 trees in our recycle bin!
http://consciousplay.blogspot.com/
Such a waste. I still get junk mail forwarded from 4 addresses ago. I don't sign up for anything anymore.
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