Junk mail, those ads and offers sent to your door, seems to be a regular part of having an address. According to the Sightline Institute, Americans receive 41 pounds of junk mail each year! Worse yet, each year 5.6 million tons of junk mail ends up in our landfills. The average resident is twice as likely to throw away their junk mail instead of recycling it (44% vs. 22%). Junk mail is so prevalent that the first week of October has been designated Junk Mail Awareness Week. Junk mail is a huge annoyance with a large footprint; today on the blog we’ll take a look at the different tools to remove yourself from junk mail mailing lists.
Direct Marking Association (DMA)
- Responsible for direct mail for 3,600 companies nationwide
- Can opt out of mailing by visiting their website (https://www.dmachoice.org/register.php) or sending your name and address (with signature), along with a $5 processing fee (check or money order payable to the Association of National Advertisers or ANA) to:
DMAchoice
Consumer Preferences
P.O. Box 900
Cos Cob, CT 06807 - There is a $4-$5 fee to remove your address for 10 years
OptOutPrescreen
- Responsible for credit card offers from the three major credit bureaus (Experian, Transunion, Equifax).
- Can remove your address for 5 years or permanently
- Visit OptOutPrescreen.com or call 1-888-5-OPTOUT (567-8688)
- To permanently opt out you’ll need to sign and return the Permanent Opt-Out Election Form.
- Important notes:
- You will be asked for personal information such as your social security number and date of birth. This is not a scam- the information is used to ensure you’re removed from the mailing lists!
- Make sure to SHRED all credit card offers before recycling!
Abacus
- Responsible for catalogue subscriptions
- Contact them with your name and address, either by email ([email protected]) or by mailing it to: Abacus, Inc,. PO Box 1478, Broomfield, CO 80038.
Catalog Choice
- This is a free service offered by a nonprofit to cancel specific catalogues.
- Visit their website at https://www.catalogchoice.org and search for the catalogue you no longer wish to receive.
SKUlocal
- Responsible for coupons (e.g., Valpak)
- Visit their website and fill out the form at https://www.valpak.com/remove-address
Publishers Clearinghouse Sweepstakes
- Responsible for those annoying Publishers Clearinghouse mailers
- Fill out the form on their website or email [email protected].
- No internet? Send a letter to: Consumer & Privacy Affairs, Publishers Clearing House, 300 Jericho Quadrangle #300 Jericho, NY 11753.
Misc.
- If you receive mail from a nonprofit that you no longer wish to receive, send the mail back and (politely!) ask to be removed from their mailing list.
- You can return mail addressed to “resident” by writing “RETURN TO SENDER” and putting in your mailbox.
More information
How To Stop Junk Mail via the Federal Trade Commission
Reduce Your Junk Mail via Michigan Department of Attorney General
Greening your future, part one: junk mail via Michigan State University MSU Extension
This Is How You Can Stop Getting So Much Junk Mail- for Good via Reader’s Digest
