Tips on Reducing Junk Mail

"Treat junk mail like an intruder" says Peter Walsh, author of It's All Too Much (Free Press; 2007). You don't have to let it in just because it knows where you live.

1. Get off mailing lists: The Direct Marketing Association (DMA), a trade group for companies and nonprofits that send advertising mail, will remove the names and addresses of everyone in your household from mailing lists for 3 years, for $1 per person. Register at: www.dmachoice.org/mps, or write to Mail Preference Service, P.O. Box 643, Carmel, NY 10512). Send all variations of names, plus your address and signatures. The DMA says this will reduce your unsolicited mail by up to 80%. If you move, you will need to re-register. Note that this will not stop the ValPak mailings we all get. To stop them, go to: www.coxtarget.com/mailsuppression/s/DisplayMailSuppressionForm.

2. Stop the catalogs: Annie's note: This was a hard one for me, as I enjoyed leafing through them and making "wishes" for things I wanted, but my conscience finally won out. You can do it the hard way by phoning the catalog's 800# and asking them to stop, but I don't recommend it. I tried this, and it seems to take an inordinate amount of time, plus some want to know why you are stopping. Here's an easier way: http://www.catalogchoice.org/, a site recently launched by The Ecology Center, is a site that lets you search for catalogs by name and cancel those you no longer wish to receive. If you can't find the catalog you're looking for, click on the "Suggest a Catalog" link at the bottom of the results page. Either way, it may be a couple of months before you notice a decrease in the catalogs, because the catalogs are sent out to mailing warehouses some months in advance.

3. Buy protection. To have your name taken off even more lists, consider using a subscription service. The group http://www.41pounds.org/ (named for the average amount of junk mail sent to each adult in the U.S. every year), will contact dozens of direct-marketing organizations and catalog companies on your behalf. It'll also register your name with the DMA so you won't need to contact the association directly. You'll pay $41 for 5 years, and more than 1/3 of all profits go to environmental and community organizations - you choose a list when you register. GreenDimes (http://www.greendimes.com/) will remove your name from direct-marketing mailings and catalog lists and will donate a portion of each $15 subscription fee to tree-planting projects.

4. Opt out. Whenever you join a club, register for a conference, or fill out a form of any sort, tell the organization not to sell, trade, or rent your contact info. You can often do this by checking an "opt out" box on a paper or electronic form. Annie's note: when you receive the news from your friendly credit card company, there often is a form you can use to tell them to keep your info private. These things are usually found in the privacy policy in mailers and on websites.

5. Be wary of warranty cards. Marketers use thse cards to collect a range of personal data, so read the find print before filling them out and mailing. Generally, you don't need to return the card to activate the warranty. Anytime the card asks for demographic info, you may suspect they will use your personal data. Best to skip the more general lifestyle survey questions; no, they really don't care how great your life is; they want to make money from your data.

6. End unwanted offers. Go to http://www.optoutprescreen.com/ or call 888-567-8688 to be removed from the major credit bureaus' mailing lists for pre-approved credit card and insurance offers. Register online to opt out for 5 years, or by mail to protect yourself permanently ~ a printable form is available on the website. You'll be asked to provide your social security number and date of birth; this helps ensure the request is processed, but it's not required. Annie's note: by opting out of these pre-approved credit offers, you can also protect your identity from being stolen.

7. Consider little things. Every time you sign up for newsletters or calendars from your yoga studio, museums, etc., or other sources, see if you can look that info up on the Internet instead. Chances are good that your info will be rented or sold to other entities, unless they specifically state they do not sell your data.

8. Recycle it. Some unsolicited mail will always sneak in, but to keep it from piling up, be ruthless. After all, it's ruthless with you! Tear it up or shred it as soon as you get it, then put it in your recycling bin right away. Annie's note: I sometimes save the envelopes for re-use.
If you're unclear about the recycling programs in your area, go to http://www.earth911.org/ and enter your zip code; enter the item from the drop-down menu (e.g. paper) to determine if curbside pickup is available.

Annie's note: Another advantage to ridding yourself of junkmail: You'll be able to find the good stuff like cards from friends, and be less likely to lose the bad stuff (bills).

Source: Housekeeping Solutions/Banishing Junk Mail by Jennifer Uscher, published in Martha Stewart magazine.