5 ways to make junk mail disappear
Published 5:31 pm Monday, April 12, 2010
Sometimes eco-friendly living strategies go hand in hand with living simply.
That’s particularly true in the case of junk mail. Get rid of it and you save time and paper, which helps the planet.
Here are five ways to get started.
These services are free. They aren’t, however, instantaneous or 100-percent effective.
They can take more than three months to take effect, and they won’t likely stop mail from businesses you’ve used recently for purchases.
Phone books
The Yellow Pages Association allows consumers to opt out of member phone book deliveries at www.yellowpagesoptout.com.
You enter your ZIP code and receive links to opt-out forms from publishers such as Dex, Yellow Book and SuperMedia, which publishes Verizon phone books.
Credit cards
To eliminate the barrage of “You’ve been pre-approved!” credit card mailings, see www.optout prescreen.com.
You can choose five-year or permanent removal. You have to provide your Social Security number and your birth date.
This service also allows you to opt in if you wish to receive these offers. It’s provided by consumer credit reporting companies.
Catalog Choice
Choose which catalogs you want to receive and which ones you want to stop. Catalog Choice contacts catalogs on your behalf. See www.catalogchoice.org.
Val-Pak
If you don’t want that blue direct mail envelope featuring coupons and fliers from local businesses, you can stop it with just a few clicks. See tinyurl.com/valpakoptout.
DMAchoice
The Direct Marketing Association’s mail preference service, DMAchoice, can take you off national mailing lists for three years, after which you’ll have to restate your preferences. Once you sign up for a free account, you’re allowed to block specific companies, catalogs, magazine solicitations and credit card offers. See www.dmachoice.org/MPS/.
