MOGO Tip: Just Say No To Junk Mail

At our house, the arrival of the mail is always eagerly anticipated (I know; kinda sad, huh?). Will there be a note from a friend? The newest edition of one of our favorite magazines? Or, even, hope of hopes, a check?! Usually, though, opening the little door reveals either nothing, or a couple bills and some — yep, you’ve been there — junk mail.

Because we’re pretty good at letting marketers and companies who send us their catalogs know that we don’t want to receive junk mail, my husband and I tend to get less unwanted riffraff in our mailbox than most folks do. But, just like spam and telemarketing calls (even after joining the Do Not Call registry!), those flyers, post cards and carefully-worded letters await us most days, trying to lure us into believing that we can’t live without whatever they have to offer. But, unlike spam and telemarketing calls, junk mail leaves us with a big pile of paper (and sometimes plastic and other non-recyclable packaging) to deal with.

If you are one of the many, the proud, the ones who are fed up with junk mail and ready to take action, there are plenty of ways to reduce your mailbox’s junk habit, including:

• 41 Pounds will remove your name from up to 95% of junk mail lists for a one-time fee of $41.
• New Dream gives you tips for opting out of some junk mail, phone solicitation and spam lists.
• If you have more free time, each time you get junk mail or a catalog, you can call the organization and ask to be taken off their list.
• The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse gives several suggestions for getting off marketers’ lists.

One broader solution is for there to be a National Do Not Mail Registry, just like the national Do Not Call Registry. ForestEthics has developed a campaign to inform the public and encourage Congress to enact DNMR legislation. In addition to finding a list of facts about the impact of junk mail (I had no idea!), you can find suggestions for taking action,

~ Marsha

Image courtesy of Casey Serin.

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