Reducing Paper Waste
The average adult receives 41 pounds of junk mail each year. On average, we receive 16 pieces of junk mail a week, compared to only 1.5 personal letters. The majority of household waste consists of junk mail.
44% of junk mail is thrown away unopened, but only half that much junk mail (22%) is recycled. The average American household receives 848 pieces of junk mail per household, equal to 1.5 trees every year—more than 100 million trees for all U.S. households combined.
42% of timber harvested nationwide becomes pulpwood for paper. The world's temperate forests absorb 2 billion tons of carbon annually and help reduce global warming. The loss of natural habitat potential from the 41 pounds of advertising mail is estimated to be 36.6 square meters (396 square feet).
You can help reduce junk mail and help our environment with just a few actions:
Reduce advertisement mailers by visiting a website called CatalogChoice.org. Catalog Choice is a non-profit organization, managed by The Story of Stuff Project. Catalog Choice sends merchants your catalog opt-out request on your behalf and may take up to 90 days but it’s a start. - To go a step further sign up for DMA choice for the cost of a $1 and take your name off prospecting lists, because many catalog merchants share lists of personal information with other merchants.
Stopping unwanted credit offers Bank finance and credit companies sell your data, for marketing purposes. Stopping this is easy; you just need your address, former address within two years, and social security number. One call does it all for agencies Equifax, Trans Union, Experian and Innovis. Dial 1-888-5 OPT OUT (or 1-888-567-8688) 24 hours a day, or visit optoutprescreen.com
Opt-out of Yellow Pages Delivery You can now opt-out of receiving directories, thanks to a program called the American Association of Directory Publishers. Go to yellowpagesoptout.com
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