Is unwanted mail a problem in the United States? Let’s do the math.

• Shipped: 5.2 million tons
• Recycled: 0.98 million tons (19%)
• Garbage: 4.2 million tons

With 31 pounds of paper and plastic going into the garbage for every woman, man and child in America, that adds up to a pretty sizeable “junked mail” problem! From: Recycling and Disposal in the United States Facts and Figures for 1998, U.S. EPA, April 2000

Mail Preference Service

Households can significantly reduce their advertising mail by registering with the Direct Marketing Association’s free Mail Preference Service. It’s easy to do, and you’ll be reaching some of the biggest direct marketers in the country with a single letter. Send a postcard with your name and address to: Mail Preference Service PO Box 643 Carmel, NY 10512-0643 The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) is a trade association of businesses who advertise their products and services directly to consumers by mail, telephone, magazine, Internet, radio or television. DMA doesn’t do mailings – but its members do. The DMA also has services for unwanted phone and email solicitations. Learn more about them on their web site: www.the-dma.org/consumers/privacy.html or by calling the DMA.

Credit offers

A Leaning Tower of Visa. Nearly 3 billion credit card solicitations are sent to consumers every year! The nation’s major consumer credit bureaus – Equifax, Experian, Innovis and Trans Union – established a toll-free number to get off lists for credit card solicitations. The recording will ask for your social security number, full name, address and telephone number. The service allows you to opt out for two years or permanently. No matter what you pick, you can “opt back in” at any time by calling this same number. Call 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688). Disposal tip: Make sure to rip up the application form before you discard it. This helps prevent “identity theft” and protects your credit and your privacy.

Individual Mailers

Not all companies use these national systems to purge their mailing lists. If you are getting mail from persistent mailers, you can contact the company directly and ask to be placed in their “do-not-mail file.” Look at the mail piece to see if there’s a number to call, or write them a note (you can use their business reply envelope), send them an E-mail, or use their Web site. Be patient. It may take some time (up to six months!) to get your name and address out of their mailing cycle. Sample language: “Please remove my name from your marketing database. In addition, please do not pass along my name to others through mail list sales or trades. Thank-you for your cooperation.”

Mail list brokers

These firms provide national lists for non-financial data:

• Experian 1-800-228-4571 x4633: Wait through a long message about other options before leaving your name, address and phone number for opting out of Experian’s compiled databases.
• Polk Company 1-800-464-7655: Ask for the “Polk Opt-out Line”

National mailers

These national advertisers compile and maintain large databases of customers nationwide, often for mailing coupons or local, weekly circulars. These materials are generally printed well in advance of mailing, so expect a delay of 6-8 weeks for this opt-out to take effect.

• Mailbox Values, ShopWi$e (ADVO, Inc.) Phone: 952-929-1441 Minnesotans can use option 3 to leave their full mailing address (don’t forget the apartment number), city and zip code. Mail: Include your mailing label or coupon envelope, marked “Delete”.
• ADVO, Inc. One Univac Lane Windsor, CT 06095
• Val-Pak (Cox Target Media) Send an e-mail to valerie@valpak.com with REMOVE FROM MAILING in the subject line. Include your address, city, state, and zip/postal code exactly as it appears on the Val-Pak blue envelope or mailing label. Or call 1-800-661-0959 At the prompt, enter your zip code to connect to the Minnesota sales office. Press “0” to leave a voicemail asking to remove your name from their mailing list; include your full address (don’t forget your apartment number), city and zip code.

Mail: Include your mailing label or coupon envelope, marked “Delete”. Address Information: Val-Pak Direct Marketing Systems, 8605 Largo Lakes Drive, Largo, FL 33773

Local services and utilities

Ask your local utilities and service providers – phone, gas, electric, water, cable, newspaper, banking and insurance – about their privacy policies. Find out more about what information they will and will not share about you. Most companies will restrict what they share about their customers, but typically they will only do so if specifically told to. Also, you can set up automatic withdrawl with your utility compaines. This is where they will take out money for your bill automatically and you will not receive any paper mail at all!

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