Catalog Choice: Get Rid of Mailbox Clutter

Everyday, people all over the country open their mailboxes only to be overwhelmed by a tidal wave of unwanted catalogs. Many of these catalogs are never looked at and are thrown in the trash, taking up space in landfills and wasting natural resources in the production of the paper and inks used to print them. Catalogchoice.com offers beleaguered users to take themselves off the mailing list for catalogs that they don't want to receive. Using the site is as easy as signing up for an account and browsing the catalogs to decline any further mailings. Sign up is free and there are a lot of companies that participate, but many of the more egregious offenders aren't listed.

My biggest mailbox stuffer, Oriental Trading Company, does participate. I made the mistake of ordering from Oriental Trading Company many months ago, and scarcely a week goes by that I don't receive a new catalog. Not only do they have the regular catalog featuring toys and games, they now have catalogs devoted exclusively to beads and to imprinted promotional items. I immediately delined any more mailings. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it works.

I have also ended up on the Harry and David mailing list. I have never ordered from Harry and David and I will never pay that amount of money for pears and candy. The catalogs only come once or twice a year, but most of the time, they never even make it from the mailbox to the house. I stop off at the trash can on the way inside. It's a waste of my time and their money. Maybe if they only spent money sending catalogs to people that want them, they could cut the prices on the pears. Harry and David do not participate in Catalog Choice.

Dell Computers also send me regular catalogs. I have never bought a Dell computer and have no interest in their products. I have looked through the catalogs, but the large, featured computer on the front is usually a stripped down model. To add enough memory and software to make the computer usable, it is no longer a bargain. Of course, there are more than just computers in Dell's catalog. They also sell mp3 players now as well, but they pale in comparison to cheaper models. Dell also participates in Catalog Choice, so I have declined their catalog as well.

The website was recently featured on the "Today" show and the Catalogchoice.com website includes a note apologizing for slow load times due to heavy web traffic.

Source: Catalog Choice