The final end of spam
I’m not the ideal customer from my local area, but they keep spamming me. I am not interested in double glazing, beauty packages or my new pizzeria areas. However, I end up with coupon deals for family-size pizza deals and spray tan packs.
No matter how much green control you have inside your home, spam will find its way to you.
Don’t worry, you can reduce it significantly.
(To point out that you can’t stop spam 100% and I’ll explain why below.)
First of all, you’re probably wondering why I’m talking about spam, right?
Simply put, forests are cut down and turned into a water-pulp mixture that, after handling, creates the beautiful thing we call paper.
The paper is then sent to companies that print it and then ship it to you.
Did you know that junk mail produces more greenhouse gas emissions than 9 million cars?
HOW TO STOP RECEIVING JUNK MAIL
We all understand the importance of trees in sustaining our ecosystems and the global temperature. If we stop the demand for spam, we can further reduce our environmental impact.
It’s very easy to collect spam and throw it directly into the recycle bin.
Yes, it will be recycled, but the company that sent the mail doesn’t know that you didn’t want to receive it. And if they’re never told that your potential customers don’t want their mail, they’ll keep sending it and keep causing environmental destruction.
First, you need to identify the two types of spam you may receive, named and unnamed.
Named mail is what comes through your door addressed to someone in your home.
And without a name, yes, you guessed it, they are the letters that are not addressed to anyone.
They will probably say something like “For the owner”, “For the new owner of a super-fast Internet provider.”
HOW TO STOP RECEIVING NOMINAL MAIL
* Opt out of marketing lists
If you subscribe to anything that asks for your home address, be sure to get out a magnifying glass and look for any information that explains marketing terms.
Businesses and organizations will typically add you to their marketing mailing lists without your confirmation unless you indicate otherwise.
If you don’t opt out of receiving marketing information, you’re going to get a giant pile of spam. Imagine it like the scene in Harry Potter… “NO MAIL ON SUNDAYS”.
*Register free with MPS (UK only)
MPS will remove your name and address from UK industry direct marketing, advertising and sales promotion lists.
Please note, it may take up to 4 months for you to notice a reduction in any name spam.
*Contact your local voter registration office
Ask your local registry office to remove it from the open registry.
The open record includes your full name and address and can be purchased by members of the public, business and marketing managers.
*Change all your billing from paper to online
A simple piece of advice, but you’d be surprised how often it gets overlooked.
*Contact directly with the sender
Contact the sender by email or phone and tell them that you no longer wish to receive any mail from them with immediate effect.
* Return spam directly to sender
Cross out your address and write “spam, return to sender” on the envelope.
You do not have to pay any return postage, but the sender will receive a return charge.
The return charge makes it more likely that action will be taken to remove you from their marketing list.
HOW TO STOP RECEIVING MAIL WITHOUT A NAME
Have you ever wondered how spam that isn’t addressed to anyone in your household lands in your mailbox?
For example, the ads for Domino’s and your local window glazing company?
*Notify Royal Mail
Thanks to Royal Mail, they have the job of delivering leaflets to every house.
You can opt out of receiving them by sending them an email informing them that you no longer wish to receive marketing mail.
They will send you a letter that you will need to sign and return to them.
Please note, it can take up to 6 weeks before you notice a reduction in no-name marketing email and the opt-out service only lasts for 2 years.
* Make a sign or poster
Get creative and make a poster saying you don’t want to receive spam.
Stick it on your mailbox, make sure it is relatively close to the entrance of the mailbox. (Not everyone will notice the sign in the bottom corner of a window.)
*Indicate exactly what mail you do not wish to receive.
Not everyone will think that the ads for your newly opened beauty salon are considered junk mail in your home.
Remember: try to make your own poster before you print one.
*Contact directly with the sender
Contact the sender by email or phone, tell them that you no longer wish to receive any mail from them with immediate effect.
* Return spam directly to sender
Cross out your address and write “spam, return to sender” on the envelope.
You do not have to pay any return postage, but the sender will receive a return charge.
The return charge makes it more likely that action will be taken to remove you from their marketing list.
BUT AM I STILL RECEIVING JUNK MAIL?
Well, let’s say you’re still getting spam.
Unfortunately, people (especially those who are spreading the word about their local businesses) will ignore your no-spam sign.
Don’t worry, there are ways to reuse your spam before tossing it in the recycle bin.
Here are some ideas to get your brain going.
Note paper – use the back of spam letters as note paper
Card Design – Reuse the designs to make celebration cards and gift tags.
Compost: Add brown envelopes and non-glossy white paper to your compost pile.
Remove: first the plastic windows and the sticky glue strips.
Recycle – Add paper to your recycling bin
Stuff things with it: You can make weatherstripping and pincushions if you pack the paper tightly and cover it with a heavy cloth.
Animal Bedding – Hamsters and gerbils need bedding, save yourself a few pennies by shredding your spam
Papier Mache – Get creative and build structures with your kids or yourself
Paper Baskets: You can fold and roll strips of paper to make baskets or whatever size you want.
Jewelry – Just like before, you can roll the paper into any shape you like and wear it as a stunning looking piece of jewelry.
Pots: You can make a box and use it as an alternative to plastic pots. Even better, the self-made seed pot can be put directly in the ground.
So there you have it, the ultimate end to spam.
You can significantly reduce the mail coming into your home and reuse any mail that still makes it to your mailbox.