Stupid Question – How Can I Stop Junk Mail?

Cutting Down on Junk Mail

By Sarah MacDonald for Life & Beauty Weekly

Approximately 31 million trees are cut down to create the 450 pieces of junk mail received by each person every year. You can decrease, and maybe even eliminate, this wasteful pile by following a few easy steps. To reduce the amount of junk mail you receive:

1. Put up a “No Junk Mail” sticker on your mailbox or door.

2. Get off the addressed ad-mail lists. Many people post “No Flyers and Junk Mail” stickers, but still receive junk mail that has their name on it. It takes a few easy steps to get your name off those lists:

• You can stop a lot of addressed junk mail by registering online for the Do Not Mail/Do Not Call program.
• If you are an Air Miles collector, remove your name from their distribution lists via email at PrivacyOffice@airmiles.ca. Simply say you would like no more paper advertising.
• Other rewards programs may also send you addressed ad-mail. You can contact them directly to be removed.
• If you have a “No Junk Mail” sticker, but it’s not respected by your letter carrier, download a letter from the Red Dot Campaign and simply put it in the mailbox for the carrier. There is no need to put it in an envelope.

Photo: Corbis Images

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