Waste Reduction Guide

There are many ways to reduce, reuse and recycle instead of throwing items away. When you trim your waste wisely, you'll help reduce the amount of trash that goes to our landfills, eliminate unnecessary waste, and save our natural resources. One way to reduce your waste is to stop junk mail madness.

Junk Mail Reduction

Tired of your mailbox being stuffed with endless catalogs, credit card offers, and coupons? Junk mail may seem as inevitable as death and taxes, but a few simple steps can make a big difference. Reducing your junk mail not only makes your life less cluttered, it saves precious resources like trees, energy, and landfill space.

Let us send you a free Junk Mail Reduction Kit that can help you substantially reduce your unwanted mail. Click HERE to request a free kit online, or call the City's Recycling Hotline Hotline at 570-2876.

TIPS

The bulk of your junk
Businesses and organizations subscribe to the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), giving them access to the largest mailing list in the country. Completing and mailing the list-removal postcard in the Junk Mail Reduction Kit will eliminate the largest portion of your junk mail.

After receiving the postcard, the DMA will remove your address from its list and it will remain "deleted" for 5 years. It may take 3 months or more for your request to take effect. If you want to remain on some mailing lists, such as a particular catalog, notify them individually.

Unaddressed mail
Stopping the bundles of unaddressed flyers that come to your mailbox is a 2-step process. First, send the kit's detachable postcards to ADVO and Harte-Hanks. That will stop the address card that goes with the flyers. If you continue to get the flyers even without an address card, call the supervisor at your local post office and tell them you received unaddressed mail. Point out that you have specifically asked to be taken off the lists so they understand you're serious about eliminating junk.

Protect your name
Think twice before entering a contest, joining a store's club card program, or sending in a warranty card. Your name could go on a mailing list that gets sold or rented, resulting in more junk mail.

Junk Phone Calls
Stop getting telemarketing sales calls you don't want. Put your phone numbers on the Federal Trade Commission's Do Not Call Registry. Sign up on-line at donotcall.gov or call toll-free, 888-382-1222 (TTY 1-866-290-4236) from the number you wish to register.

Hand-Delivered Flyers
Attach a NO ADVERTISING MATTER sticker to your mailbox, front door, and any other place that you get hand-delivered flyers. This may not stop the deliveries entirely, but it should reduce the number of flyers that you get.

Credit card offers
To reduce credit offers from any of the 4 major credit reporting companies (Equifax, Experian, Innovis, or Trans Union), call the Credit Reporting Industry Pre-screening Opt Out number: 888-5-OPTOUT

Junk E-Mail
The e-mail Preference Service (e-MPS) is a consumer service sponsored by the DMA. The DMA does not provide marketers with consumer e-mail lists. The e-MPS is available to companies for the sole purpose of removing your e-mail address from their lists. Register at www.dmaconsumers.org .

More tips to reduce junk mail

• Call your bank and credit card companies to find out how to request that they don't sell, trade, or lend your name to other mailing lists.
• Avoid participating in sweepstakes and contests unless you can request to not have your name added to a mailing list. When completing warranties, product registrations, or questionnaires, don't include personal information – companies don't need it for your warranty.
• When giving your name and address to a business or organization, request that they not rent, sell, or exchange it with anyone else.
• Recycle any junk mail that you do receive.

To learn more tips for preventing waste, check the California Integrated Waste Management Board's Waste Reduction World at www.ciwmb.ca.gov/wpw/home .