Do your kids (or you) like to bring in the mail? Being the first to see what is waiting in the mailbox is fun. If you’re lucky, maybe there is something exciting with your name on it! But many days, there is a flood of mail, but none of it is anything you want. (You may not like the bills, but you need those.) All the other unwanted mail is “unsolicited” mail — or, as you probably call it, “junk mail.”
Each day, the U.S. Postal Service processes and delivers 318 million pieces of mail. That’s a lot of paper! You probably recycle almost all of the paper your family doesn’t want or need and likely shred important bank account and similar documents to protect your family’s privacy. (Paper shreds may need to go into the trash. Check with your local solid waste authority to see if they can be collected in your community and how to recycle them.) You also may pass around magazines with friends and family to give them extra life before recycling.
It would be even better to slow the flood of mail into our homes so that we have less junk mail in the first place. First, you can switch to emailed bills and notices instead of print mail and ask your favorite charities to send fewer donation requests per year. Then, you can ask to have your name removed from mailing lists by calling or emailing companies directly. To eliminate credit card promotional mail, call 1-888-567-8688 (888-5OPTOUT) or visit OPTOUTPreScreen.com. For a nominal fee, you can register for DMAchoice and put your name on a “do not mail” list. There is also a paid app service, PaperKarma, which allows you to take a picture with your phone via the app to stop unwanted mail.
For more ideas and tips like this, visit Eco-Cycle and read all their tips for reducing junk mail.
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