Don't Let Junk Mail Weigh You Down

March 3, 2006 — -- Every American receives 17 trees worth of junk mail per year. And that junk mail weighs one ton. That's right -- one ton of junk mail per year.

In case that doesn't do it for you, two average-size horses weigh one ton. That's the equivalent of two horses in your mailbox! But that's nothing compared to the elephants. Four typical elephants weigh 17.8 tons. And a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service carries all four in the course of a year on the job. Well, he doesn't carry elephants, but he does carry 17.8 tons of junk mail!

OK, so those numbers were tabulated by environmentalists (who send out billions of pieces of junk mail themselves, by the way), but if the stats are even half that bad, it's maddening. Of course, you didn't need me to lay out all those numbers to make you mad, did you? All you have to do is go open your mailbox. If you are jinxed with junk mail, if the envelopes seem endless, there is hope.

The Direct Marketing Association maintains a list of consumers who don't wish to receive what it insists on calling "direct mail" or "advertising mail." If you want to avoid the junk, write to the DMA and include every name -- and every spelling of every name -- under which you receive junk mail. Also make note if you are a "Jr.," "Sr." or "III." List your current address, your previous address and your phone number. It'll probably take a couple months before you really notice a difference. (And marketers who aren't DMA members will still send you mail.)

Also, keep the address below somewhere safe, because the Direct Marketing Association honors each request for just five years. After that, you'll have to renew your request. To join the list for free, with full results in about a month, write to:

Mail Preference Service
Direct Marketing Association
P.O. Box 643
Carmel, NY 10512

For faster service, you can register online, but it costs $5. Go to: www.dmaconsumers.org.

Credit card companies are the worst offenders in my mailbox. They obtain lists of consumers who meet their criteria and then deluge them with "pre-screening offers." The big three credit bureaus have given you a way to block those too. Just call 888-567-8688. The first prompt you'll hear offers you the chance to opt out for the next two years. Don't jump the gun! A later prompt offers you the opportunity to opt out for good. Once you've made a choice, you will have to provide your Social Security number and some other basic information.