62,000,000,000 pieces of junk mail are produced yearly. That's 4 million tons. You will recieve 41 pounds of it this year. All of us will.
A service called 41pounds.org can help eliminate 80-95% of these unsolicted mailings for five years.
You join, pay $41. (50% of the profits are donated to non-profit organizations) and start helping the environment and your sanity. Can you imagine how lovely it would be to just pick up your mail and open it all?
The numbers involved are impressive. Just a few: 44% of the junk mail sent goes to the landfill unopened. 40% of the solid mass that makes up landfills is paper and paperboard waste. $320 million dollars of local taxes are used to dispose of unsolicted mail each year. These and other stats are here.
Check out the faq's for all the details on the service/process.
We've just heard about 41pounds.org and are very interested. Has anyone used this service or attempted the "unsubscribe" process themselves? We like to hear more...
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
I tried doing the "unsubscribe" process as part of the AT Cure a few months ago. One of the pieces of junk mail I hate the most are the circulars for Jewel and Dominicks. I tried calling the number listed on the back cover, but it went right to an answering machine where I was asked to leave my name and mailing address. It seemed like I stopped getting them for a while but I had one in my mail just yesterday.
In my experience, the best way to "unsubscribe" is to never empty or check my mailbox (which infuriates the mail delivery guy). Last time I looked it was exploding with b.s.:) I have anything important go to a family business p.o. box.
I definitely sympathize with you however.
Do it for free. I just used the techniques on www.junkbusters.com. I've been blissfully junk mail free for over two years. The only catalogues I get are the ones I want. The only problem I've had is more credit card offers from my own banks. They don't seem to get the hint.
My junkmail goes straight from the mailbox to the recycling bag, chicago paper recycling allows the bits of plastic and glossy paper the comprise "junk mail".
All,
I have actually done a lot of research about this and thought I would share the following:
http://junkbusters.com/ I was going to follow their suggestions but they have you sending out over 20 postcards (I actual was going to start with the DMA but after checking their site they want a signed letter with a check for a dollar).
http://privatecitizen.com/ They want $10.00 a year; I can live with this but the site doesnt instill a lot of confidence about leaving them in charge of my credit card information for annual billing.
http://stopthejunkmail.com Again, I am sensitive about where I put my credit card information and a site that looks like it was designed by kid with 20 minutes of HTML training is a no go!
http://directmail.com The good thing was the site was professional and the better news was it is free, the bad news it they will not stop mail that is addressed to "occupant" or "resident" (Pennysavers, Valpak, etc). They also did not contact catalog distributors or the people responsible for credit card applications. A rough guess but that makes up over 80% of what I am trying to eliminate.
http://41pounds.org The bad news is they charge $41.00 (but half goes to not for profit environmental organizations), the good news is they stop pretty much everything. More bad news, I signed up on 41pounds.org in July and after a month nothing changed (was not happy). The good news; after around 8 weeks my catalogs have stopped, my Pennysavers and Valpaks have stopped, and the credit card applications have stopped, and finally the two catalogs I wanted off of have stopped. When I originally signed up with their service I forgot to specify Dell under the section for catalog removal, one email to 41pounds.org and they took care of the problem. Anyway it works, its a little expensive but they really have eliminated 90% of the crap.
All are viable options just my two cents.
Marc,
P.S. Kathryn; In all my searches to rid myself of junk I did find reference to USPS Form 1500. It states that you are recieving a specific mailing (Jewel) that contains pornographic material that you find offensive. (The law says the determination of what is offensive or pornographic is at the sole discretion of the recipient (read this again its important)). You download this form and attach it to the mailer and turn it in at the Post Office. Just an idea if they keep ignoring you.