A quick update on my Week 2 challenge of trying to stop junk mail. I sent in a letter to the editor at our local paper (The Fargo Forum) after being sent phone books shortly after requesting to be removed from the list. It was published and wanted to share it with you all! The link is here, but for those having problems with the link, I am copying the text here:
Quit sending me phone books
It would really be appreciated if the phone companies would stop sending me phone books. I have asked to have my name removed from Dex, Yellowbook and 702 Communications lists, and, not more than two weeks later, I have received phone books from Yellowbook and 702 Communications.
As I stare at the eight phone books sitting before me, I really wonder how necessary all of these are. I have used a phone book probably three times in the past year, and it was certainly handy to have on those occasions, but I do not think I need this many. Really, I could just as easily have used the Internet. I do understand why households want phone books, but can you please allow me to find numbers on the Internet?
All I really want is the ability to be removed from your lists. The resources taken to create, print and deliver these phone books are annoying for me, costly for you and a detriment to our environment. More than 100 million trees are cut down every year for junk mail, and it has been reported that 40 percent of that goes straight into the garbage. I don’t want to add to that waste.
Even if you do not agree with environmental agendas, I hope we can agree that this is wasteful. Just give me an opportunity to save you money and stop sending me phone books.
Wahee! Well done you! This is the thing I don’t do enough of. I write stuff on my websites, but don’t do enough of contacting papers or manufacturers. This is going to be one of my new years resolutions – DH and I were talking about it last night; we’re going to start being more ‘vocal’ in our feelings about environmental causes; not activists, but just talking to the right people
Well done on getting your letter printed
Thanks for the ‘Well Done’. Even before this, I have been somewhat vocal about things that annoy me. Many times, my vocalness does not result in anything other than my own venting. Sometimes though, the company or organization follows up and needs the right person at that organization to see the complaint. The paper usually does that.
Good luck at being more vocal and thanks for the comment!