What are you gonna do with all those holiday catalogs? If you’re enviro-nonprofit ForestEthics, you’d make a Naughty or Nice list (PDF) to see which direct mail companies have been using recycled, FSC-certified paper and which have been cluttering our mailboxes by endangering forests.
The third annual list actually has lots of great news, with companies ranging from the very green Patagonia to not so green Victoria’s Secret eco-ing up their catalogs. Unfortunately, the money companies — like American Express and Citi — have been anything but nice. That makes signing up for e-statements from all your banks and credit card companies — plus updating your privacy policy to refuse all other promotional-type mail pieces from them — a good forest-friendly new year resolution.
Of course, even 100% post-consumer recycled paper catalogs aren’t really green if you’re just going to toss them into the recycling bin without looking at them. If your local shopping and internet buying ways have made paper catalogs obsolete for your lifestyle, then visit Catalog Choice, a FREE service that lets you easily get off of catalog mailing lists.
Want to attack all your junk mail? ProQuo offers a free de-junk-mailing service to wean your mailbox off of credit card offers, ValPak coupon envelopes, and loads of other unwanted mail. Pressed for time? For-pay services like GreenDimes, 41Pounds, and Stop the Junk Mail wage your war against junk mail for you.
Don’t see why it should be so hard to get off mailing lists? Then sign ForestEthics’ Do Not Mail Petition, which is pushing lawmakers to create a national Do Not Mail list, similar to the existing Do Not Call list.
Now back to those pesky holiday catalogs you’ve already received: Take a break from work and upcycle the glossy paper into a cute and colorful Magazine Christmas Tree!
Update: Stop junk mail: A Complete guide to getting just the mail you want
Yes, let’s stop junk mail!!! 41pounds.org is a nonprofit service that stops your junk mail – including catalogs. The service covers everyone in your household for 5 years (guaranteed!) and costs $41. When you sign up, 41pounds.org donates $15 to the nonprofit organization you choose – such as StopGlobalWarming.org, Trees for the Future, Grist, Carbonfund.org, Outward Bound and Habitat for Humanity chapters. The 41pounds.org service makes a fabulous holiday gift – especially for last minute shoppers. They offer gift certificates that you can print out or email directly to your friends and family. No wrapping paper, no shipping charges, no worries. Check it out at http://www.41pounds.org.
Comment by Carolyn — December 22, 2008 @ 12:04 pm