EASY WAY TO REDUCE UNWANTED JUNK MAIL

Every business day, thousands of pieces of junk mail arrive on Maui to be tucked into our mail boxes.  Most of this unwanted and unread paper ends up in our landfill.  If you want to reduce the amount of junk mail hitting your mailbox, simply send a letter to the Mail Preference Service listing the addresses you see on your junk mail.  I keep the following letter in my files:

Mail Preference Service

Direct Marketing Association

P.O. Box 9008

Farmingdale, NY  11735-9008

Dear Sirs:

I understand that the MPS is designed to assist consumers who would like to receive less advertising mail at home.  Please register the following name(s) and address(es) with the name removal file so they will be removed from unsolicited mailing lists.  Thank you very much.

Name:

Address:

Every time we order something by mail, we end up on a mailing list, so it’s best to send this letter several times a year.  When I get a new catalog, I rip off the address and keep it in a folder until my junk mail begins to build up again.  Then I take the addresses and type them into a copy of this letter and mail it.  It costs me about $1 a year in postage to keep my mailbox relatively clear of junk mail.

For more information on reducing junk mail, check out “How to Get Less Junk Mail” at: http://www.cpsr.org/cpsr/privacy/junkmail.html

Camille Armantrout

Makawao