Reduce Your Junk Mail!

As I was at my local recycling center, recycling some old electronics, they handed out a kit that has a few addresses that you can send some information to, to reduce the amount of junk mail you receive.

Just download the template, print it onto a piece of oaktag, and send it out with a 26 cent stamp, and the address of the Ad company!

My scanner seems to be acting up at the moment, so I can't post up a scanned image of the kit, so I will type in the addresses manually.

*I thank my local recycling and waste management agency with providing me with these instructions. The man I spoke to loves this site, and he gave me permission to post the addresses of the Ad companies.*

Not only does reducing your junk mail make your house less cluttered, it also preserves space in landfills, and saves trees from useless advertising!

Step 1 Download this Template

Print this document out, and this is the Postcard that you should send to the addresses I will list later in this Instructable.

Now go to the next step once you have this on your computer.

If you have oaktag to print this template onto, it would be easier, so you do not have to put the template into an envelope, you would just have to put the adress onto the back of it and stick it in your mailbox.

Don't worry, the addresses to send this to are in the next few steps!

Comments

[oldsourdough]

Pre-paid return envelopes...I love 'em. I just stick them back into the mail, empty of course. I figure they pay the postage for an empty envelope just as well as a stuffed one. The Postmaster informed me that they would have to pay for extra weight should you decide to stuff that sucker full. Anything with pre-paid postage gets returned. Some credit card companies use a bar code on the envelopes flap...just magic marker it out so it can't be read and let them pay the postage.

[BuellerQ]

I have a new puppy who makes presents for me all over the house. Maybe I can use your idea to Re-Gift.

[thermoelectric]

Do it!!!!!! Tell us what happens

[oldsourdough]

Hi! What Happens?...Well, since they sent you a postage paid envelope...they pay the postage for you to send it back to them...EMPTY! They don't know where it came from, so what are they gonna do! Later...Oldsourdough!

[thermoelectric]

But I meant what happens if you fill it with presents your puppy left

[oldsourdough]

Go for it!

[thermoelectric]

try putting a mini explosive that explodes when it's opened in the middle of the present lol

[JamesRPatrick]

THAT is a bad idea.

[thermoelectric]

 Woah I left that comment a long time ago.

[gelede]

I LOVE that! I've been saving junk mail just trying to think of something "creative" to do with it that would send a statement. This is a good one!

[girl with vision]

thanks so much for this info. I can't wait to get rid of junk mail, it makes me crazy!

[Doctor What]

Am i the only one that likes getting junk mail?? Think of all the uses for it: bathroom reading material, lining for birdcage, starting fires, greeting cards, origami, killing spiders, paper airplanes...

[DELETED_outdoorsman2014]

(removed by author or community request)

[FireBAT]

I run our junk through the shredder, then use it for rat/ guinea pig/ chicken bedding. More absorbent than cedar (with no dust or oils), decomposes quickly in the compost pile, and it's free!

[kolrobie]

You don't need to mail anything except probably Harte Hanks
http://www.advo.com/consumersupport.html advo
http://www.coxtarget.com/mailsuppression/s/DisplayMailSuppressionForm value packs
https://www.dmachoice.org/MPS/mps_consumer_description.php DMA

[InstructorGadget]

Best advice ever to reduce junk mail, don't give out your personal info and don't respond to offline offers that come in the mail. Use online coupon sites instead!

[allisonc]

UnlistAssist (dot) com is another great way to opt out of junk mail. UnlistAssist is a company that will remove your name and personal information from 40 online databases for up to 3 years. By using their services you will see a decrease in junk mail and also be protecting your privacy from things like Identity theft. UnlistAssist is on the web, check them out!

[rockyt]

when I get junk mail with a prepaid return envelope, I use it to send to the sender a request to be removed from their mailing list. Now, if everyone used the prepaid envelopes, it would get costly for them, as I do believe they only pay postage for them when they get used. Sometimes I place inside the envelope another piece of junk mail from a completely different sender. thats gotta piss em off.

[andrew101]

the thing is if you do that they know your looking at their mail so theil keep sending it.. its cheap advertizing fot them

[nephari]

When it says "variations of my address," do you mean things like "St" vs. "St." vs. "Street," or is it just if you have multiple addresses (which, being a college student, I do)?

[Brennn10]

I believe so, yes.

[nephari]

Which one? ><

[its a lion]

i believe it means any alternate spellings that show up on your junk mail. not sure really, but thats what im thinking. i think if you have multiple addresses you may need to send in one for each address.

[BruceR]

in the UK you can register with this service ..

MPS Online