Paper Police

You are officially a Jr. Paper Police officer!  We need YOU to help stop the junk mail bandits.  

According to www.41pounds.org, the average US citizen receives 41 pounds of junk mail per year.  41 pounds of junk mail also creates about 274 gallons wastewater, consumes 5 million BTU's and creates 316 pounds solid waste.   

That amount of paper robs the average person about EIGHT MONTHS of their lives dealing with junk mail! (www.donotmail.org).  They also report that:

• Direct mail creates 10 billion pounds of solid waste
• It costs communities over $1 Billion annually to collect and dispose of it.
• 62% of phone books and advertising mail is not recycled
• Marketers spend $17 Billion on postage alone to send advertising mail.
• Approximately 44% of junk mail goes to landfills unopened.

Having to manage mail can be difficult for many people.  But you can diminish the amount you have to manage each day by policing what gets mailed to you.  Here are a few tips and links to get you started.

• Go to www.donotmail.org and opt out of catalogs.
  
• If you no longer use phone books, contact the carrier to remove your name and address
  
• Recycle your old phone books or donate to library or assisted living center.
  
• If you receive unwanted mail, write "refused, return to sender" and return it.
  
• Call 1-888-576-8688 to remove your name from credit card companies.  Or go online at www.optoutprescreen.com.
  
• Glossy magazines can be fun to look at, but unless you shop there, they are a time waster.  Call the company and have the label in front of you.  Advise that you wish to be permanently removed from their mailing list.  Chances are you will also be removed from similar lists. 

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Take back your time and privacy by stopping the junk mail bandits!  

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