Stop Junk Mail Kits-the one piece of mail people are asking for

(January 22, 2007)

San Francisco – It takes 100 million trees and over 28 billion gallons of water to produce the amount of junk mail that is sent in the United States in just one year. That is one major reason why a coalition of Bay Area cities and counties joined together to launch a junk mail reduction campaign. The campaign offers an easy to use "Stop Junk Mail Kit," which will be promoted with radio commercials, public service announcements, and articles in local and regional newspapers and newsletters all asking Bay Area residents and businesses to make a special effort to reduce the amount of junk mail that comes to their homes and offices. There is also an easy to use website, stopjunkmail.org, and Bay Area residents can get a "Stop Junk Mail Kit" through the hotline, 877-STOPWASTE (786-7927).


"Junk mail is a huge waste of natural resources, as well as your time. Sure you can recycle junk mail, but it's even better to stop getting it," declared campaign coordinator Catherine Pandori. According to Department of the Environment's calculations, it takes up to 234 minutes a year to sort through daily junk mail, whereas completing a Stop Junk Mails Kit takes about 2 minutes.



The Stop Junk Mail Kit provides easy steps to get off junk mail mailing lists, and prevents new junk mail from finding its way to the mailbox. The kit provides pre-addressed postcards to junk mail clearing houses, and offers tips on how to assure that names and addresses do not get traded, rented, or sold to companies that send unsolicited mail. The advertising campaign will run for six weeks beginning January 22, 2007, although "Stop Junk Mail Kits" will be available the year round through the Stopwaste hotline, and through the website.



"Reducing junk mail can help turn the tide against global warming," said Jared Blumenfeld, Director of San Francisco's Environment Department. "100 million trees get used for junk mail every year, and those trees would be sufficient to offset the greenhouse gasses released by every personal vehicle registered in San Francisco three times over!"



The Campaign, now in its third year, has produced overwhelming support for the reduction of junk mail. "When people see or hear about the Stop Junk Mail Kits, they don't ask for just one, they get Kits for all their relatives and friends. People are happy to have a way to stop the avalanche of junk mail in their mail boxes and the senseless waste of our natural resources," said Catherine Pandori, Campaign Coordinator.



Go online or call and request the FREE Stop Junk Mail Kit.

Online at www.StopJunkMail.org

Call, toll free, 877-STOPWASTE (786-7927)