Hold the Mail
Simple steps to reduce the amount and
hassle of junk mail
Every year each person gets an estimated
24 pounds worth of marketing mail.
An average household receives up to
63 pounds – it’s time to get rid of that
extra weight by reducing your junk mail!
August 2024
Control your exposure
The best way to keep your name off of mailing
lists is to control your exposure. Most
importantly, to keep your name off lists long
term, think about how often you give out your
contact information.
This includes:
• Product warranties.
• Professional associations.
• Publication subscriptions.
• Utilities (phone, gas, electric, water, cable).
• Financials (bank, credit insurance, car or
home loans).
• Churches, non-profit and social groups.
• Contest sweepstakes and give-aways.
• Shopping (writing checks, ordering online).
Consistently add a privacy statement to
anything you put your name on asking not to
be added to their mailing list. You can also
request that your name not be sold or shared
with other organizations.
Contact companies directly
Not all companies use national systems to
purge their mailing lists. Here are tips for when
to contact them directly and contact
information to make it easier to do so.
• Be prepared. Have the mailing label or
catalog handy.
• Be polite. Most mailers will make an effort to
comply with your request. If you don’t get
results, you can consider stronger language
or contacting company management.
• Be patient. It may take some time to get
your name and address out of their mailing
cycle.
• Be persistent. Keep trying. Drive home the
message that your privacy is an important
part of customer service. You do have the
right to be left alone.
Credit bureaus
The nation’s major consumer credit bureaus
(Equifax, Experian, Innovis and TransUnion)
offer to remove your name from pre-approved
credit cards.
– Online: optoutprescreen.com
Mail list brokers and
marketing associations
These firms or their members provide national
lists for non-financial data.
• Direct Marketing Association (DMA)
– Online: dmachoice.org. There is a $5
processing fee for their do-not-mail
service.
– They also provide “deceased,” “email,”
“as a caretaker,” and “do not contact”
registration.
National mailers
These national advertisers compile and
maintain large databases of customers
nationwide, often for mailing coupons or local,
weekly circulars.
• Red Plum (Mailbox Values), ShopWi$e
– Online: retailmenot.com/everyday/
unsubscribe
• Val-Pak Direct Marketing Systems
(Cox Target Media)
– Online: valpak.com. Scroll to the bottom
of the page and click on “address
removal.”
• Money Mailer, LLC
– Online: moneymailer.com/contact
• Exclusive Twin Cities Offers (Share Local
Media)
– Online: sharelocalmedia.com. Click on
“Opt-out of our mailings” at the bottom
of page.
How to lose 24 pounds of unwanted mail
How to lose 24 pounds of unwanted mail
Catalog mailers
• Catalog Choice
This free service makes it easy for consumers
to stop receiving unwanted paper catalogs.
– Online: catalogchoice.org
• You can contact catalog companies
individually by looking for their contact
information on the catalog.
• If you still want to receive some catalogs
from a retailer, simply ask to only receive
those publications.
Sweepstakes mailers
Want to stop receiving all of those
sweepstakes mailers? Contact the national
companies below to remove your information
from mailing lists.
• Publishers Clearinghouse
– Online: pch.custhelp.com/app/
ask_mailing
• Readers Digest
– Online: rd.com/customer-service/
Local utilities and service providers
• Check with your phone, gas, electric, water,
cable, newspaper, banking and insurance
providers about their privacy policies and to
opt out of mailings.
• Ask that electronic copies of your utility,
bank, and credit card statements be sent to
you via email. Save them on your computer
instead of printing.
College and University Mailers:
You can contact the schools directly, or
go to the College Board Student Search
Service to remove your name and address
from their database at studentsearch.
collegeboard.org/ and click on the “Opt-out”
button under No Commitment.
U.S. Postal Service:
Misaddressed mail
• Check with your local post office, usps.com,
to stop these types of mail:
– Former residents
– Deceased
– Sexually explicit
Photo credit: Judith E. Bell on flickr.com
What to do with the mail
you still receive
Sort mail directly into recycling bin
You can place a recycling bin near your desk or
wherever you do the most paperwork to make
recycling easy and convenient.
Mail you can recycle:
• Magazines and catalogs.
• All letters and paper inserts.
• Greeting cards (no foil, embossed areas, sparkles or batteries).
• Coupon advertisements.
• Envelopes, including window envelopes (no bubble mailers).
• Phone books.
Make sure to remove all non-paper items, such as CDs, plastic cards, product samples,
magnets and stickers.
Hennepin County
Environment and Energy
hennepin.us/dropoffs
612-348-3777
34-603-01-24
