Turning the tables on junk-mailers

comments from our community

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  Posted by LarryR Thu Mar 12, 2009 7:50am PDT

  I was doing this, until I started needing paper to start a fireplace. Now I need the junk mail for that.

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  Posted by Dv8clay Thu Mar 12, 2009 8:05am PDT

  It is good to avoid being wasteful. It is also good to do what we can to keep our costs down The first step in waste reduction, as far as junk mail is concerned, is to opt out wherever possible. Recycling is not as good as not making too much paper in the first place. Then, save all of that paper in a huge pile until you have enough to get money for it yourself. One unknown here is the ultimate source of the money paid to you for recycling. If you say that it takes way too long to pile up enough junk mail to get money, how about community organizing? The money could be used to better the community, or even awarded as a prize by random drawing to make it fun. You could even pick a local charity and save your waste paper for them. Who knows? You may even experience a more closely knit community as a result.Mailing it back to the source only comes back to us later in the form of increased postage or product costs. Here's another angle : Junk mail is considered profitable because the senders are shown statistics. By these they believe a certain very small percentage of junk mail recipients will actually use their company. If an entire population was of the same mind to never respond to junk mail in protest, the statistics would change, and the junk mail would stop. Granted, that is largely theory and wishful thinking, but what if ... ?

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  Posted by BobbyE Thu Mar 12, 2009 8:33am PDT

  I been returning credit card offers for a couple years now. I write "Not interested, Thanks" on them and return them. I know they probably apprecaite my responce but now a days i do get less of them. I wouldn't wanna be rude and not respond. lol

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  Posted by Rick Thu Mar 12, 2009 9:07am PDT

  I do the same for magazine subscription offers but shred the inside contents prior to mailing back. Love the tape to brick idea! Will have to try that one!

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  Posted by Strobe Thu Mar 12, 2009 8:55pm PDT

  I've been doing this for years. I don't know how much less junk mail I receive, but it sure feels when I drop it in the mail box.

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  Posted by kdraqutie Sat Apr 4, 2009 9:16pm PDT

  this has been a practice of mine for years, since I first heard Andy Rooney broadcast this idea on Sixty Minutes in the 90's.

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  Posted by Glynn Fri Jun 12, 2009 11:39am PDT

  Brilliant!!!

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  Posted by Diana B Sun Jun 14, 2009 9:52am PDT

  good ideas!

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  Posted by Baba Fri Oct 9, 2009 11:29am PDT

  My brother and I did something like this but we ripped all the paper up and put it in the prepaid envelope and send em back.

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