How to Eliminate Junk Mail

Every day, millions upon millions of pieces of mail are delivered, and a disturbing amount of these are unsolicited advertisements, cold promotions, scam letters, and other illicit works that are immediately discarded without perusal or a second thought.

The "junk mail" phenomenon must inevitably result in unfathomable tons of garbage around the world, with eventual harmful effects on the environment. Not only are these consequences eco-unfriendly, but the mailers themselves are frequently annoying and waste our time.So, what can be done? After all, if it was up to most people, junk mail would simply cease and we would never receive another shred of tacky fliers again. Unfortunately, these fiendish things are unlikely to go away anytime soon. But the good news is that if we follow a few simple steps, we truly can make notable steps toward the outright elimination of junk mail.

Over the Phone

The vast majority of the time, junk mail is received because an individual or organization has ended up on the mailing list of another individual or organization, and thus will automatically continue receiving these pieces as long as they continue using that list to produce labels or print directly onto the mailers.

Thus, the objective is to be removed from the mailing list. Rather than respond in kind by sending a reply envelope or letter, the company in fault should be called; ironically, if they are a legitimate business, they should definitely provide their contact number on the piece.

Then, using typical phone etiquette and protocol, talk to the person who can alter the mailing list database and politely request your removal. Your request should be respected, since they certainly want to eliminate postage costs whenever possible.

Via the Internet

One consequence of our digital age is that junk mail has taken an electronic form. Across inboxes all over the world travel "spam" emails that are unwanted and unwarranted. For these, removal can be tricky, since emailing in reply will often not end up at a human being; even worse, if the original spamming came from an automated address, then any replies may simply bounce back.

Fortunately, one tactic that exists is to quickly skim the message for the "to be removed from our list" or similar language, then click the link or otherwise utilize the option. If all else fails, refer to the first strategy and try to reach the culprit by phone. Then, if nothing else works, simply block the email address. Problem solved. Thank goodness for spam filters.

By making these effective responses a consistent, relentless habit, a person or group can actually make a dent in the amount of unsolicited mail that they receive. Since this increases efficiency and is friendlier to our planet, these tactics should be put into action immediately and constantly.