Stop Junk Mail Now: 3 Easy Tips

In addition to unsolicited phone book deliveries, useless items of crapolla, plastic water bottles, plastic bags and Gilbert Gottfried, few things make me more . . . ahem . . . "enviro-mental" than junk mail.

While the numbers vary from source to source, it's confirmed that each year hundreds of millions of trees are cut down for unsolicited mail. Add billions of gallons of water for paper production and you've got environmental assault.

Global warming aside, I'm getting sick of sorting through piles of useless coupons, credit card offers and sweepstakes. The catalogs are the worst--can someone please tell me why I receive catalogs for Male Big & Tall, Omni Cheer, and UPCO Bird? I am neither plus-size male, nor cheerleader, nor exercise equipment enthusiast.

Fed up, I've embarked on a quest to get these hawkers off my back. Join me by following these 3 steps. It'll take you less than seven minutes (I've timed my friends and family) and you'll feel good for saving the trees.

1. Put The Kibosh On Catalogs

When you buy something from a catalog, your transaction is likely to be reported to Abacus, owned by DoubleClick Digital Advertising, who sells, rents, and whores your information to additional catalog companies and publishers.

Stop catalogs by emailing Abacus Catalog Alliance at [e-mail]. Just say, "leave me alone you dirty catalog company," and don't forget to include your first, middle, and last name, current address, and if you've moved recently, your previous address. Don't worry, they won't come to your house, they just need that info to make sure you're off their "Innocent People to Infuriate" list.

2. Cease Solicitations

They may seem innocent, but common companies often sell your personal spending information to credit bureaus. Credit bureaus use the information to create lists based on consumer characteristics (i.e. income brackets, spending habits, boxer-briefs preferences) and rent them to marketers, credit card and insurance industries in search of specific demographics.

The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA, 15 USC 1681) and several states' laws require credit-reporting companies to honor consumers' list-removal requests. Call 1- (888) - 5OPTOUT or (888-567-8688) and tell the credit bureaus to leave you in peace.

3. Stymie Fliers, Sweepstakes, And Obnoxious Product Offers

The Direct Marketing Association (DMA), funded by marketing companies and dim-wits, is a lobbying group that collects and distributes consumer information to its members. Indirectly, they're responsible for those disheartening sweepstakes. And lets be honest, I have a better chance of marrying Prince William than winning a million dollars and a bunch of balloons from Publishers Clearing House.

The DMA is required by law to respect consumer's list-removal requests. There is, however, a $1 removal fee. Infuriating!

Register for their "do not mail me list" at the Direct Marketing Association's Mail Preference Service Site.

Follow the above three steps and within six weeks you'll see a significant decrease in junk mail; bear in mind floaters and local flyers will manage to sneak through.

If "decrease" doesn't cut it, if you aim to dismember, slay, and bury the junk mail beast, you'll have to put in more time. For watertight protection, visit Junkbusters, a virtual armory of junk mail weaponry, even the most obscure leaflets, brochures, and take-out menus can't break.

Comments

[bekc123]

These are great tis, thank you. I haven't done anything like this, but recently, have noticed a large decrease in unsolicited crap in the mail. Does anyone know whether or not the credit companies are feeling the pinch and sending out fewer junk mailings(as a way to cut back on their daily operational costs)? I used to receive a lot of "YOU'VE BEEN PRE-QUALIFIED" which I then had to painstakingly take apart and recycle. I'm not receiving much at all, these days.

[AtomiClash]

if you can't stop it, do what we do: shred it and give it to our worm garden. The worms love paper (except for coated types) and junk mail is promptly turned into great compost.

[nativist]

I think we need to get a new regulation enacted whereby postal patrons can elect to recieve nothing but first class mail. It might ad something to the cost of utility bills, but would eliminate all mass mailings and fliers immediately. I've always thought it was wrong for junk mail to get a break on postage. Another idea would be to eliminate that break and make junk mailers pay the same priceas we do to mail things.

[jojameson]

On Number 2, you can use website rather than calling: optoutprescreen.com.

[Anciano]

When I get any kind of unsolicited junk mail I look for a postage paid return envelope. Credit card apps always have them. I take all the stuff they send me, including the envelope it came in and stuff it into the postage paid envelope they provide. If you roll it so that it's 'chunky' it will cost them 92 cents to pick it up. These are contracts the banks have with the USPS, they have to pay for them. You'd be amazed how much other stuff you can get into the envelope too. Got old tire weights you've found in the street?

[southafrica4obama]

good idea. I'll start sending them back now. i have been fighting with the postman for a year now; telling him not to put junk mail in my box.

[KenTao]

A better cure for this problem is to bring back this one simple action to take: fill out a form at your Post Office saying that you do not wish to receive ANY more junk mail from anyone. Some of the younger folks may not even believe this but we had this option years back. I suspect it was done away with by the Reagan administration.

Earthlings Unite!

[Ajita]

Unfortunately, I think the only way to effectively deal with this issue in the long run is through regulation. Its one of those things that people have gotten complacent about and almost expect to see on a daily basis. Thanks for the info though, its one drop less in the bucket.

[ashabot]

Fabulous! Thanks for the article. I've been meaning to do this for quite a while and, thanks to your article, finally made a start with an optout note to Abacus.

[johannesrolf]

the real problem is spam phone calls, and of course spam e-mail. those are huge problems.

[wm1066]

When I get a spam/robo call I press 1 and that puts a real person on the line, and then I ignore them.
(is anybody there? ? ? ...click)
after about three times I get taken off thier list.

[LawSource]

I AGREE 100%!

Spam Phone Calls and Spam Emails is a PROBLEM!!

[KenTao]

You guys seem to be missing the point: we're trying to save trees! Phone calls and emails do not kill trees like printed matter does.

Earthlings Unite!