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Fight Junk Mail and Paper Mailings

junk_mail ecoxplorer

Junk mail is a constant source of frustration and waste for many Americans. Junk mail is mass messages, often unsolicited, sent in bulk. Every year, more than 100 million trees worth of bulk mail arrives in American mailboxes, the equivalent of deforesting Rocky Mountain National Park every four months, according to Harvard. That’s a lot of natural resources used to create junk mail—without considering the energy used to transport mailings. 66.2 billion pieces of marketing mailers were sent by the USPS in 2021, an increase of 2.2 billion from 2020. Want to learn how to purge your life of all this junk? You can help reduce waste and emissions by opting out!

How to opt out

  • Create an account with Direct Marketing Association Choice to set mailing preferences and remove your name from mailing lists.
  • To stop promotional mailings from credit card companies, visit OptOutPrescreen or call 1-888-567-8688. You can also contact the credit bureaus directly to request opt-outs:

Experian (402)-458-5247 901 West Bond Lincoln, NE 68521 Attn: Consumer Services Department

TransUnion (888)-567-8688 Name Removal Option P.O. Box 505 Woodlyn, PA 19094

Equifax (888)-567-8688 Options P.O. Box 740123 Atlanta, GA 30374-0123

  • To cancel catalogs, visit Catalog Choice.
  • Opt out of phone books via Yellow Pages Opt Out.
  • Charity solicitations:
    • When donating to an organization, enclose a note such as this one to request that they not send you solicitations or rent, sell or exchange your name, address and giving history with other organizations.
    • Write to or call organizations that send you solicitations to ask them to stop. It is helpful to save the mailing label and the “reply device” from solicitations and send them back with your opt-out request.
    • Read these articles from Charity Watch and Charity Navigator for more advice
  • Contact companies directly and politely ask to be removed from their mailing list, and also request that they not rent, sell, or exchange your name and address with others.
  • Email the Postmaster General at pmgceo@ usps.gov to voice your concern about junk mail and ask for a choice in the mailings you receive.
  • Most banks and utility companies offer paperless bills and statement options. Contact them directly to inquire about online bill pay and digital bank statements.
  • Newspapers: Consider an online subscription. It is typically much cheaper and saves a bunch of paper!

Check out more junk mail tips from Eco-Cycle.