Having too much junk mail can be a problem. It takes time to go through all the paper, and you never know what’s inside of it. Many people find themselves throwing out most of their junk mail without even looking at it, which is unfortunate because there could be some good deals inside that they are missing out on. If you wonder how to get rid of junk mail for good, this blog post has 14 ideas and tips that will help!
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Enroll in the National Do Not Mail List
You are tired and don’t want to sign up for another newsletter. You may have already done this, but you are not getting rid of junk mail. All you want is a break from all those pesky catalogs and junk mail filling your mailbox or inbox each day.
- By enrolling in the National Do Not Mail List
- Contact DirectMail.com to opt-out of targeted marketing by phone
- Opt in to receive only solicitations that are important such as Sallie Mae student loans
- Request not to be included on lists used by telemarketers
- Write “return to sender” on any unwanted items before putting them in the trash, so they don’t come back sent straight back to your address as an undeliverable piece of the post; alternatively, You can do other things to get rid of junk mail:
- Opt-out from catalogs you receive by using the DMA Mail Preference Service to stop receiving direct marketing offers in your mailbox or via email to remove yourself from mailing lists. You can also opt out at CatalogChoice.org and on their mobile app for iOS devices.
- Request a “no thanks” sticker kit which will include instructions about how to apply it over your name and address on envelopes sent through USPS
- Ask family members not to send any more unwanted items in the post; if this doesn’t work, try asking them politely but firmly not to do so again!
Get your name and address off mailing lists by contacting companies directly.
You can remove your name from mailing lists as soon as you can to stop the flow of junk mail into your mailbox using some services, such as Catalog Choice and Unroll. I will help with opt-outs for many popular brands like Victoria’s Secret or Netflix that don’t have their service in place yet. Others offer a more DIY option: make an “Opt-out” file on your computer with all the addresses of places you want to go—companies, nonprofits, political organizations, and so forth–and send it via USPS Certified Mail (the post office may charge up to $20).
Request to stop receiving catalogs from retailers you don’t shop with anymore.
By requesting to stop receiving catalogs from retailers you don’t shop with anymore, you’ll be able to reduce the amount of junk mail that comes into your home.
The best way to stop receiving catalogs from retailers is don’t shop with us directly. You can send a letter or email asking for their help in removing your name and address from mailing lists or call customer service.
If you haven’t shopped at these stores in years, it’s unlikely they know who they are unless you’ve made an effort to tell them – so make this one-time effort now! It will take some work on your part, but after following these steps, the chances are good that most if not all of the unwanted catalogs coming into your mailbox will go away soon.
Step One: Take a paper and pen or pencil and note the mailing companies you don’t shop with any longer. Write down the names, addresses, phone numbers (if available) of these retailers. If you have an old catalog at hand – it’s easy to find out who is sending them!
Step Two: Get started by contacting each company individually. Pick one name from your list first and call customer service to get their mail removal policy in writing before proceeding to others on your list if needed. They will often take care of this for you over the telephone but be sure that there are no strings attached, such as re-subscribing or giving up something else like coupons in exchange for removing your name.
Step Three: If you want to remove yourself from a mailing list that isn’t in your budget, write down the company’s name and address. Send them written correspondence with ‘remove me from this mailing list’ as the first sentence or paragraph (see sample letter below).
Step Four: Keep an old catalog handy for reference so you can find out who is sending mail!
Step Five: Contact customer service before proceeding to another company if they require something other than removal, such as re-subscribing or giving up coupons in exchange for removing your name/information.
Step Six: If it is within your budget, start by contacting all companies on one side of the page at once, then proceed back and forth across until it’s finished – this will keep things organized and safe.
Keep a label that says “No Junk Mail” on your mailbox
You can put a sticker that says “No Junk Mail” on your mailbox to stop junk mail, but it will not work forever. I prefer the following two methods:
- Replace home address with PO Box for forwarding purposes
- Remove name and address from mailing label
You can use a jumbo stamp pad and black permanent marker or goo gone to get rid of unwanted addresses on envelopes. If you have significant amounts of items in trash cans, place them at least 15 feet away from the house so others cannot easily see what is inside.
Get a post office box and only give out the number to people you want mail from
This is probably the simplest way to get rid of junk mail, and it’ll also help protect your privacy. When you buy a post office box at the local post office (usually costing around $30 for three years), they will give you an address that doesn’t mention street or apartment number – just your name and zip code. You can then provide this information when people want to send you something in the mail.
Opt-out of the credit card offers in the mail, or ask for a paperless version instead.
Opt-out of the credit card offers in the mail, or ask for a paperless version instead. It’s not too hard to opt-out of the credit card offers by filling out an online form with your personal information and preferences. The mailing list you want to be removed should be listed on this website:
- OptOutPrescreen.com
- DMAChoice.org
You can also call toll-free at (888) 3837212 from anywhere in the United States to request that your name be taken off all mailing lists used by business members of the Direct Marketing Association (DMA).
Stop junk mail by putting your house number on the “No Solicitors” list at city hall.
By putting your house number on the “No Solicitors” list at city hall, you can get rid of junk mail. It’s free to register, and your address will be removed from most direct mail lists in six months. You can also contact companies like Catalog Choice, which offers a $50 voucher for anyone who signs up through their site or company email campaign.
Buy an Unroll Me account to unsubscribe from email lists automatically.
Unroll me is a service that will help you get out of unwanted emails. The first thing they do is find all your subscriptions and send them to you in one place so you can easily click on the ones you want and delete the rest with just one mouse click! They even have an option for “Pending” mail which lets any mail sent before signing up be processed like usual, then removes it after 24 hours if not deleted by you. It’s free and only takes about a minute or two to set everything up; try to unroll me today!
Get to Know Your Postal Worker
This is especially helpful for those who are trying to reduce their waste. There isn’t a list that needs removing because the mail has not been delivered directly into your home or office, but you can still have a friendly conversation with postal workers and let them know about your efforts. I talked with my lovely mail lady on our way back from work one evening after we spotted her out in front of another house delivering packages. We told her how much we appreciated what she did since it was helping us save money by reducing extra trips to the store – don’t deliver flyers! She agreed immediately, so all I had left was thanking her personally by leaving some bulk chocolates as well as this thank-you card.
Customize your mailbox with a decal
You can customize your mailbox with a decal that reads “No Junk Mail or Solicitations.” This will not work alone, though. You need to have a conversation with your mail delivery person about this new rule for delivering their letters and packages. The last layer of security against solicitors is just another reminder from them when the letter carrier arrives on your doorstep in person.
Don’t be fooled by these forms!
Be wary of any sweepstakes, contests, or other forms that require you to fill out your address. There’s a good chance they’ll start mailing you something after collecting this information from you, which is why it should only be given in limited circumstances and not for everything on the internet because I wouldn’t want mailman Jimmy delivering my junk-mail every day–the guy’s got enough work as it already is so don’t waste his time either!
Donate or Recycle
With all the ads you are constantly bombarded with and overflowing mailboxes, it is worthwhile to take a few minutes each day or week to get organized.
You may think recycling mail isn’t worth your time but let me show you how easy it really can be by doing three simple things: Recycle everything non-paper like tissues, food wrappers, etc., recycle paper products (magazines), donate any unwanted magazines to charity offices and doctors’ waiting rooms.
Away from unwanted magazine subscription
Every time you subscribe to a magazine, join a group or make any donation and provide them with your name and address, be sure to ask that they not rent out your information specifically. This may go ignored, so it is best if you reach back out in the following weeks for this request again.
Quit requests for donations from charities
It’s a lot of fun to give money and help other people. But sometimes, we want control over what causes get our attention, so it can be frustrating when organizations keep asking for more donations after the initial donation has been made. The American Institute on Philanthropy offers some tips about reducing junk mail from charities.
Suppose you have given your contact information to an organization to make a contribution or volunteer time. In that case, they may not stop contacting you even if they know that this is unwanted behavior. One way around this problem is by including written instructions with future contributions, stating “no further solicitations will be accepted at any address where I live.” If the charity doesn’t honor these requests, then future donations could also go into their
If you donate to a charity once per year, consider reducing the volume of mailings from that organization. If you do not want your name associated with any charities at all, ask them for it to be removed from their mailing lists as well!
To sum up,
If you’re tired of junk mail filling up your mailbox, don’t worry! There are plenty of ways to stop it at the source. To start with, get your name and address off mailing lists by contacting companies directly. You can also request to stop receiving catalogs from retailers you no longer shop with, or opt-out of the credit card offers in the mail. And if that’s not enough, consider getting a post office box only giving out this number for people who want to reach you through the postal service. Finally, buy an Unroll Me account, which unsubscribes from email lists automatically, and make sure to check “No Junk Mail” on all forms where they ask what kind of marketing material do you want or need?
