Sign up for "Do Not Mail" lists to reduce unwanted junk mail

The last thing I want is to open my mailbox hoping for something important, only to see a pile of “pre-approved” credit card offers, scammy promos, or those envelopes designed to look urgent but actually aren’t. If you are tired of sifting through junk to find important mail, you are not alone, and there’s a way to stop it.

In the U.S., 100 billion pieces of junk mail are sent out every year. That is about 846 pieces per home per year. Although some people find use for the occasional coupon or catalog, nearly 46% of junk mail is never even opened. The good news is that you can cut unsolicited mail by 80% or more by opting out of mail lists that generate it and registering on do-not-mail lists. Here’s how.

• Credit and insurance offers: Visit OptOutPrescreen.com or call 1-888-5-OPT-OUT (1-888-567-8688) to stop credit and insurance offers for 5 years or permanently.
• Catalogs: Use CatalogChoice.org to stop unwanted catalogs while keeping the ones you enjoy.
• Marketing mail: Go to DMAchoice.org to remove your name from national marketers’ lists. It costs $6 and is good for 10 years.
• Other marketing mail: Register at DirectMail.com’s National Do Not Mail List and indicate the kinds of mail you don’t want to receive.

Stopping junk mail is not just about convenience. Each year, 100 million trees are cut to produce junk mail that people don’t even want. The process releases 51.5 million metric tons of greenhouse gases, equivalent to heating about 13 million homes in the winter.

Check out this video guide for more info on stopping junk mail for good. If you want to multiply your impact, let your friends know about these options, too.

Learn more:

https://consumer.ftc.gov/how-stop-junk-mail

https://www.mass.gov/guides/consumer-guide-to-stopping-junk-mail

https://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/environmental-repercussions-junk-mail-lbkr/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY3BD69MnYE