Phil for Humanity Phil for Humanity

Stopping Junk Mail

Do you get a lot of junk mail like I do? I estimate that over half of the mail that I get is junk mail, typically advertising for a new mortgage, credit card, insurance, and the list goes on and on. I am really.. REALLY.. REALLY REALLY not interested in any of them. I am appalled at the amount of trees being killed to produce this useless and annoying junk mail. I do not even want to waste my time looking at junk mail. You may be asking what can we do? Well, I have an idea.

At first, I tried not replying to any junk mail, but I do not think that has even decreased the amount of junk mail that I receive. So, my idea is for everyone to do the opposite. That is right, the very opposite!

For each and every junk mail that includes a prepaid envelope or prepaid postcard sized response form, send it back. Do not write anything on their forms and insert into their envelopes any paperwork that they sent, because the junk mail advertisers pay by weight for their mail that they get back. Make sure to not send back anything that has our name or address, including any bar codes that digitize our unique information.

If there are enough of us doing this, then this would greatly reduce the profitability of junk mail. Thus, decreasing the amount of junk mail that we will eventually receive!

Of course, this has some unintentional consequences. In the short term, this would increase the amount of mail going through the post office. And in the long term, decrease the amount of mail going through the post office. As a result, this would cause a greater fluctuation in the number of people employed at the post office. However, I think the greater impact of decreasing environmental waste, saving trees, and saving our time is worth it.

If you agree, please try this advise.

by Phil for Humanity
on 10/02/2006

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