This page is devoted to Recycling, Reducing, and Reusing
REDUCE, STOP JUNK MAIL IN IT'S TRACKSCompliments of www.RecycleWorks.com, of San Mateo, CA: Reduce Residential Junk Mail The average person gets only 1.5 personal letters each week, compared to 10.8 pieces of junk mail. Collectively, that adds up to 4.5 million tons of junk mail produced each year! 44% of all junk mail goes unread and directly into the trash. - Native Forest Network
Use the printable letters provided and the contacts listed below to keep junk mail from finding its way to your doorstep.
Off Those Lists The average adult is on 50 mailing lists.
Contact: Credit Bureaus — Equifax / Trans Union / Experion Services: These three credit bureaus send out most of the unsolicited credit card offers. Method: To stop credit card promotions from coming to your house, call 888-5OPT-OUT (1-888-567-8688) or visit www.optoutprescreen.com. They will ask for your name, address and social security number. Your social security number is used to locate all variations of your name that appear on their mailing lists. You should update every two years. Contact: Direct Marketing Association (DMA) Services: DMA is a trade association of businesses who advertise their products and services directly to consumers by mail. Method: There is a $1 fee to file the form by mail. Fill out a letter, add the $1.00 check, staple it closed, add a stamp and address and mail. This method takes approximately 90 days to go into effect. You may also fill out their online form, which will go into effect sooner. Contact: Valassis Services: Valassis is the direct marketing company behind the ShopWise™ and Missing Children ads. They claim to be the single largest private customer of the US Postal Service. Method: Call and ask to be removed from their list: 1-800-437-0479. You may fill out a free online form. You may also fill out a letter, staple it closed, add a stamp and address and mail. Any of these methods takes 6-8 weeks to go into effect. Valassis' ads are often delivered with your local supermarket's monthly coupon book. If you do not want to receive these additional coupon bundles, you may also have to ask your postman to stop putting it into your mailbox. Contact: Harte Hanks Communications Services: Harte Hanks sends a wide variety of coupons and ads throughout the country, including Penny Savers. Method: Call and ask to be removed from their list: 1-800-422-4116. Fill out a letter, staple it closed, add a stamp and address and mail. Alternatively, you may visit their website (scroll to page bottom). Contact: Valpak Services: Sends regular mailings full of coupons. Method: Call and ask to be removed from their list: 1-800-237-6266. You can also fill out a letter, staple it closed, add a stamp and address and mail. Contact: Publisher's Clearinghouse Services: Sends sweepstakes promotions. Method: Call and ask to be removed from their list. Phone: 800-645-9242 Contact: Catalogs or magazines that you don't want Method 1: Visit Catalog Choice. Fill out online registration form, indicating which catalogs are not wanted. No charge. Method 2: Locate return address on catalog or magazine. Fill out a letter, staple it closed, add a stamp and address and mail. Contact: Computer CD Disks that you don't want Method: Call 1-800-827-6364 (America Online) Contact: Your bank, wireless provider, member organizations, insurance providers, etc. Method: Companies and organizations that you do business with are the source of the majority of your junk mail. Contact each of them individually via email through their website or via their toll-free number and request that they stop sending you promotional mail. Back to the top Make It a Part of Your Routine Approximately 40% of the solid mass that makes up our landfills is paper and paperboard waste. Tax dollars spent to dispose of junk mail: $320 million. - Ecofuture You may be initiating junk mail without realizing it. Engaging in following activities often leads to increases in your junk mail load:
Electronic in-boxes are being increasingly deluged with spam, commercial e-mail that consumers have not "opted in" to receive. Join the anti-spam crusade by following the suggestions below.
Contact: DMA Telephone Preference Service Method: Write a letter with your name, phone number, and address and request to be deleted from their phone lists, or go to the privacy section of their website and fill out the telephone preference service form. Mail: Telephone Preference Service Attn: Dept. 7033368 DMA P.O. Box 282 Carmel, NY 10512 Web: www.dmaconsumers.org Contact: National Do Not Call Registry Method: Visit the website and fill out their form to add your name to the do-not-call list. Web: www.donotcall.gov
Contact: Direct Marketing Association (DMA) Method: Register with the Deceased Do Not Contact List (DDNC) online. This service requires a $1 verification fee. Web: dmaconsumers.org -->
Contact: Direct Marketing Association (DMA) Method: Register with the Deceased Do Not Contact List (DDNC) online. Web: dmaconsumers.org
Contact: Mailstopper Services: Removes members from dozens of direct marketing lists and plants five trees on every member's behalf. Included in membership is an auto-renew feature: the organization keeps track of opt-out requests and renews them as needed. Cost: $20.00 per year. Method: Sign up at website. Web: mailstopper.tonic.com |
www.RecycleWorks.com also includes, Recycling at Home, at Work, at School, in the Garden, Electronics, Plastic, Hazardous waste, Construction and Demolition, and Composting
Things You Didn't Know Where To RecycleIf you don't want to clutter up the landfill, but don't know where to recycle the following items:
Visit www.ecosalon.com for ideas on recycling Wine corks, Rubber soled shoes Foam packing peanuts Carpet Holiday lights Prescription drugs If you want to swap books, CD's, and DVD's go to: www.SwapTree.com |