I’ve always wondered how many pounds of junk mail I receive every year.
In fact, there was a time I was saving all kinds of credit card offers and unsolicited junk with the intention of one day weighing it.
But the clutter got the best of me and I bitterly shredded it all.
Today, however, this dreaded phenomenon has a number, thanks to 41pounds.org, a new junk mail management service based in Ferndale, Mich.
“The average adult receives 41 pounds of junk mail each year,” the service claims. “Our service stops 80-95 percent of unwanted catalogs and junk mail for you. We’ll contact dozens of companies on your behalf to STOP YOUR JUNK MAIL and PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT.”
Their service costs $41 and is guaranteed to last five years. Also, 41pounds.org donates one-third of each new subscriber’s fee to an environmental or community organization of their choice.
Cool.
Of course, there are some cheaper (even free) services to explore, all mentioned here before:
Catalog Choice: This new free service lets you opt out of more than 1,000 retailers at your discretion.
The Direct Marketing Association’s Mail Preference Service: This well-known wonder, which costs $1, will take you off national mailing lists for three years, after which you’ll have to register again.
National Do Not Mail List: This free service by DirectMail.com takes you off national mailing lists.
Val-Pak opt out: If you’re not using your Val-Pak, a large blue envelope of fliers from local retailers, visit this site to stop getting it.
No matter what you do, it seems like a good idea to crack down on junk mail.
According to 41pounds.org, “the pulp and paper industry is the single largest consumer of water used in industrial activities in developed countries, and it’s the third-largest industrial greenhouse gas emitter (after the chemical and steel industries).”
Readers, have you had good luck with any of these services? Write me here and let me know.
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