Reduce Unwanted Mail
Last edit August 11, 2021
Are you overwhelmed or annoyed by the amount of junk mail you receive on a daily basis? Unfortunately, we can’t just add filters like our email to screen most of the spam. Marketing researchers have found that through direct mail advertisements, you are more likely to look at ads and coupons simply because you have to sort your mail.
The logic is simple: seeing the ad = higher chance that you’ll check out the product.
Junk Mail is an Environmental Hazard.
In a blog post by the EPA, more than 4 million tons of junk mail is produced yearly. Over 50% of this unsolicited mail ends up in landfills annually; most are trashed unopened. The World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) reports that over 40% of all industrial wood is turned into paper. Paper production is one of the largest industrial sectors in the world; excessive logging directly contributes to global climate change and threatens diverse ecosystems. The production of paper goods also heavily relies on the use of water. Chemicals involved to treat paper, as well as other toxic agents such as dyes, bleach, and ink, contribute to water scarcity and contamination. We haven’t even covered the fossil fuels involved to transport mail, or the energy used during manufacturing.
You can take action today and declutter your inbox with a few tips that we’ve provided below.
Stop Junk Mail
Register with the Direct Marketing Association’s mail preference service.
Direct Marketing Association (DMA) Choice is a nonprofit organization founded in 1917. Acquired by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) in May 2018, DMA Choice is currently the largest U.S. data and marketing association. DMA’s Mail Preference Service (MPS) can help remove you from some junk mailing lists. To register for MPS:
Submit your request online. The price for the opt-out service, which lasts 10 years, is $2.00.
If you do not wish to complete your registration online, you can register using the mail-in form. The price for the opt-out service, which lasts 10 years, is $3.00. You will be required to send a check or money order payable to ANA at:
DMAchoice
Consumer Preferences
P.O. Box 900
Cos Cob, CT 06807
Unsubscribe from Money Mailer.
Money Mailer sends large red, white, and blue envelopes. If you no longer wish to receive them:
Call 1-949-570-0201
Email your name and address to: ListContactManager@moneymailer.com
Unsubscribe from Valpak’s Blue Envelope Coupons.
Valpak delivers blue envelopes filled with coupons and ads from local contractors and companies. You can stop them from being sent to you by filling out this form. You can still access all coupons online without the mailers.
Register with Valassis (Save.com) to stop receiving its advertisements and coupons.
Valassis states that they are a national top 10 direct mail printer and delivers 330,000+ campaigns to 120 million+ households annually. To remove your name and address from the Valassis list for 5 years:
Call Valassis’s Consumer Assistance Line toll-free at (800)437-0479.
Register with Catalog Choice to reduce unwanted catalog mailers.
Catalog Choice provides a free service that reduces duplicate and unsolicited catalog mailings. To utilize Catalog Choice’s service:
Create an account to use their online form to remove your name from unwanted catalog mailing lists.
Stop Credit Card and Insurance Offers
Opting out of prescreened offers of credit and insurance in the mail not only helps prevent identity theft, but also drastically reduces the amount of plastic and paper fliers being produced and trashed. Credit bureaus may also sell your personal information to banks and credit card companies. You can now directly contact credit bureaus such as Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian by visiting optoutprescreen.com or calling 1-888-5-OPT-OUT (1-888-567-8688).
To opt out for 5 years: Go to optoutprescreen.com or call 1-888-5-OPT-OUT (1-888-567-8688).
To opt out permanently: Go to optoutprescreen.com or call 1-888-5-OPT-OUT (1-888-567-8688) to begin the process. To complete your request, you need to sign and return the Permanent Opt-Out Election form that you’ll receive after you start the process.
Optoutprescreen.com will require personal information such as your name, address, social security number, and date of birth. Sharing your social security number and birthdate are both optional. The website states that the information you provide is confidential and will only be used to process your opt out request.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires credit bureaus to delete your name from their rented lists if you make the request.
Data Brokers
Warning: it isn’t easy to remove yourself from data broker sites. Although time consuming, it’s worth it for the added privacy. This $200 billion dollar industry sells people’s names, addresses, and buying habits to companies that send direct mail. Here is how to opt out of the largest data brokers in the U.S.:
Acxiom: Fill out this form here.
Epsilon Data Management LLC: Fill out this form here.
Oracle America, Inc.: Fill out this form here.
Equifax Information Services LLC: They don’t make it easy, but you can start here.
Experian LLC: Opt out here.
CoreLogic: Opt out here.
Stop Mail for Deceased Individuals
A rather depressing subject, but the Data & marketing Association created the Deceased Do Not Contact List in which its members must honor. Fill out the form here.
Stop Mail for Past Residents
The Postal Service says to write “not at this address” on previous residents’ envelopes and place them in a blue mailbox or other outgoing mail receptacle. Some people have reported success by placing a note on their mailbox stating “Only [list of names] lives here. Please do not deliver mail for anyone else.” The Postal Service does not officially recognize this method, but it doesn’t hurt to try.
Unsubscribe from Phone Books
Unsubscribe from receiving Yellow Pages books by visiting this link.
Stop Sexually Oriented Advertisements
Fill out the Postal Service Form 1500 to let the post office know that you do not wish to receive this mail. It then becomes illegal for companies to send it to you and the Postal Service will filter these types of mail out as well.
Other Things You Can Do
Refuse unwanted junk mail.
You can return unopened junk mail to the sender by writing “Refused. Return to sender.” on the envelope. If a mail piece has been opened, even if it has been resealed, it CANNOT be marked “Refused” and returned. Opened pieces of mail require a new envelope or wrapper with the correct address and new postage. To learn more about returning mail to the original sender, click here to read more on the United States Postal Service (USPS) website.
Unsubscribe from mail order catalogs.
Many catalogs provide an 800 number for placing orders. You can call this number and request to be taken off their mailing list.
Unsubscribe from specific organizations or businesses.
This requires more effort, but if you receive unwanted flyers or mail, directly contact the organization or business responsible and request that your name be removed from their mailing list. It is recommended that you remove your name as early as possible from the mailing lists as it prevents companies from selling your name to other organizations. You can also send in a written request that is signed and dated.
Recycle and/or compost the junk mail that you do receive.
Odd Plant is not affiliated with any of the businesses and organizations mentioned above.
