Junk mail

We all get junk mail - department store catalogs, credit card promotions, student loan consolidation offers, etc. Annoying, right? Not only that, but a tremendous waste of paper. It is fairly easy to weed out the junk mail and toss it in the paper recycling bin, but even better if you could stop that junk mail from ever filling your mailbox.

Think about the amount of paper consumed by junk mail, and for what? Most of it gets immediately thrown away. I'd love to see a statistic comparing the number of credit card solicitations mailed with the number that actually lead to a credit card application. I understand that companies have the right to advertise and such competition drives the economy, but it just doesn't seem right that a company can repeatedly send me solicitations if I do not wish to receive them. I digress. The goal here is to eliminate all of this unwanted, unnecessary mail, so here is a very good guide to get you started on your own. Some of the simpler ideas are:

1. When you get an unwanted catalog in the mail, find a way to remove yourself from the mailing list - check their website, e-mail them, call them, send back the mailing label with "PLEASE REMOVE ME FROM MAILING LIST" written on it, whatever it takes.

2. When you buy something online, be sure to opt out of receiving that company's catalog if you have that option.

3. Opt out of credit card offers - yes, it is possible!

Mr. Eric Rochow, author of Real World Green, provides a good video blog on stopping junk mail that you should also check out. His website is actually very informative, and I like it because he keeps his ideas simple and easy to follow.

Here are a couple of companies which sell their de-junk-mailing services at a reasonable cost. I am considering signing up for one, but first want to see what I can do on my own.
41pounds.org
GreenDimes