Shed 40 (Very Unwanted) Pounds!

Ms. Fergalicious said it best "What you gon' do with all that junk(mail)?" Well you could keep throwing it out - but over the course of a year those credit cards offers, million dollar sweepstakes, and letters kindly addressed to "current resident," add up to about 40lbs of waste! The "Junk Mail" industry uses over 100 million trees worth of paper - all in name of good 'ol solicitation. With an average response rate of less than 2% - it hardly seems worth it. Especially when $320 million in local taxes are used towards disposing of all these "offers."

Here is what you need to know to cut down on your junk mail and do your part in conserving - all while preserving much needed counter space!

1. Send a letter to the Direct Marketing Association
2. Contact all of your banks and credit cards companies and ask them not to release your name address, phone number, SS#, or email address. It sounds obvious, but believe me, you would be surprised
3. Contact all magazines you subscribe to.
   
4. Contact mail-order catalogs you have ordered from.
   
5. Contact all organizations you belong to, including your Alma Mater(s).
   
6. Contact airline frequent flyer or other rewards programs you belong to.
7. Contact your cable TV company.
8. Contact anyone else who sends you a bill!
9. Contact your phone company and request that your name is listed without your address.
10. Are you already exhausted from steps 1-9? Well then #10 is for you! Go to Green Dimes website and sign up for their Junk Mail Reduction Kit ($15.00). They will do most of the dirty work for you - plus, they will plant 10 trees on your behalf!