Thanks to Cool the earth our school is participating in being care takers of our earth. Here are some facts about junk mail and some fool proof ways to end it in your home or business.It's one of those things that you just do the next thing on the list below and then pure joy happens.
The average person gets only 1.5 personal letters each week, compared to 10.8 pieces of junk mail.
Each person will receive almost 560 pieces of junk mail this year.
That's 4.5 million tons of junk mail produced each year!
100 million trees are ground up each year to produce junk mail.
Junk Mail production uses approximately 28 billion gallons of water for paper processing.
Most junk mailers use inks with high concentrations of heavy metals like Zinc and Magnesium in addition to high gloss U.V. varnishes. These substances have half lives of millions of years.
44% of all junk mail is thrown in the trash, unopened and unread.
Approximately 40% of the solid mass that makes up our landfills is paper and paperboard waste. By the year 2010, it is predicted to make up about 48%.
Sources:
http://www.nativeforest.org/stop_junk_mail/nfn_junk_mail_guide.htm
http://www.stopjunk.com/environment.html
How You Can Reduce Junk Mail
To help reduce junk mail, follow the 5 easy steps:
One:
Virtually all companies offering pre-approved credit cards and insurance offers use lists from the major credit bureaus. Fortunately, to have your name removed from mailing lists used for unsolicited credit card and insurance offers all you need to do is:
Call 888-567-8688. This single automated phone line takes you off the lists of all major credit bureaus. You can also do this online at www.optoutprescreen.com
Two:
The Direct Marketing Association represents many mail order sales companies, and estimates that listing your name with their mail preference service will stop 75% of all national mailings coming to your home. To do this, send a postcard with your name, address and signature to:
Mail Preference Service, Direct Marketing Association, P.O. Box 643, Carmel, NY 10512. You can also do this online athttps://www.dmachoice.org/dma/member/regist.action
Three:
Get off clearinghouse lists.
Catalog choice is a free service that lets you decline paper catalogs you no longer wish to receive. See www.catalogchoice.org
To be removed from ValPak coupons: (800) 237-6266
Four:
Buyers beware...you are covered under a manufacturer's warranty whether a card is returned or not. These cards are primarily used to gather names for mailing lists. Write National Demographics & Lifestyles (a firm that collects this information) to have your name removed:
NDL List Order Services, 1621 18th Street, Suite 300, Denver, CO 80202
Five:
To remove your name from major nationwide sweepstakes mailers, contact:
Publishers Clearinghouse, 101 Channel Drive, Port Washington, NY 11050 Phone: (800) 645-9242
Readers Digest, Readers Digest Road, Pleasantville, NY 10570 Phone: (800) 234-9000
American Family Publishers, PO Box 62000, Tampa, FL 33662 Phone: (800) 237-2400
**** OR ****
Make a donation by paying someone else to stop the junk mail
www.41pounds.org will stop your junk mail for $41 and donate $15 back to Cool the Earth or the organization of your choice.
www.greendimes.com will stop your junk mail for $36 and plant a tree for you every month as well.
As you begin to take action to reduce your own personal junk mail, remember to be both persistent and patient. You should notice a decrease in the amount of junk mail you receive within a month, but the removal of your name from these extensive lists takes awhile. In the meantime:
REUSE junk mail for scrap paper.
RECYCLE junk mail at your local recycling center!
CREATE! Make recycled paper at home by cutting junk mail into small shreds, soaking in warm water (one hour, stirring occasionally), and spreading out on a flat, fine-holed, wire-mesh screen. Add flowers, grass, and leaves for fun, color, and texture.
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