Tip of the Week

Goodbye junk mail

Tired of the clutter in your mail box - all those unwanted catalogs and solicitation letters? What a waste of paper - about 4 billion pounds of paper go into producing direct-mail catalogs every year - since most goes directly into the recycle or trash bin.

You can remove yourself from many direct marketing lists by registering online or by sending a postcard with your name, home address, and signature to Mail Preference Service, Direct Marketing Association, P.O. Box 643, Carmel, NY 10512. Companies that use the service then know to take your name off their mailing lists. You can also contact a company directly and ask to be taken off its list. Caveat: the free service works only for national mail, not local mail, and only for residential addresses, not businesses.

In the letter or 3 1/2 x 5" postcard, include the date, your name, address and signature, and write "Please register my name with the Mail Preference Service." (The term "Mail Preference Service" may sound confusing, but rest assured, registration with MPS is what you do to get you off the mailing lists.)

Incidentally, you can also register online at www.the-dma.org/consumers/offmailinglist.html though you should be warned that it is only free by postal mail. The online opt-out method costs $5.

Want to cut down on calls from telemarketers? Register online at www.donotcall.gov.

And junk e-mail? Reduce unsolicited commercial e-mail by registering online at www.dmaconsumers.org/consumers/optoutform_emps.shtml.

© The Green Guide, 2008

| Email this post

Discuss this blog

Green Gab is for registered users only. If you are not a registered user and would like to join the discussion, register today. Already registered? Log in here:
Username:		Password:
If you have forgotten your password, click here.