Say No to Junk Mail
Do you really need new double glazing or perhaps another takeaway menu?
If not, you may be one of many people plagued by junk mail.
Leicestershire Waste Partnership is committed to helping you reduce the amount of junk mail you receive. This also reduces the amount we need to send to landfill or recycle, not to mention all the trees and energy we can save by not producing it in the first place!
Although we may be able to recycle most junk mail,
preventing it is even better!
So how can you say no to junk mail?
Leicestershire Waste Partnership can provide you with stickers to let people know you no longer want junk mail. Make sure your “No Junk Mail” stickers are in prominent positions, on or near your front door, to ensure maximum impact.
Contact Leicestershire County Council on 0116 305 7005 for your free stickers.
Then follow these 2 easy steps to further reduce your junk mail:
1) Reduce addressed junk mail delivered to your home.
Register with the Mailing Preference Service (MPS) and get your name and address removed from mailing lists.
MPS is a free service which supports your right to choose what mail you receive. By signing up, MPS can remove your details from up to 95% of direct mailing lists. Remember, this service will only reduce addressed junk mail.
For information on what to expect from this service please download the document below.
What to expect from the MPS (word document, 85Kb)
MPS can also offer a variety of other services including:
- Baby MPS – this service can be used to stop mailings from baby related companies.
- FPS – fax preference service can protect you from unwanted sales material by fax.
- TPS – telephone preference service can stop unwanted sales and marketing calls on your home and mobile numbers.
For further information on any of the services offered by MPS please visit www.mpsonline.org.uk
2) Reduce flyers and unaddressed junk mail delivered to your home.
Many organisations communicate using unaddressed mail or by door to door delivery of material direct to homes. These can include free newspapers, catalogues, directories or product samples and may also include communication from local authorities, central government, utility companies (e.g. gas, water), public service organisations, political parties, education bodies and local shops & services.
Sign up with the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) -“Your Choice scheme” and reduce unaddressed junk mail delivered to your home by members of DMA.
Unaddressed mail can be delivered to homes by a number of different companies. Delivery companies that are members of the DMA have agreed to abide by the expressed wishes of householders who do not want to receive unaddressed material through their letterbox.
For details on how you can exercise ‘Your Choice’ and ask distribution companies to stop delivering unaddressed mail to your home, please contact the DMA and ask for details of the ‘Your Choice’ Preference Service.
Tel: 020 7291 3300
Fax: 020 7323 4165
Email: yourchoice@dma.org.uk
Or visit www.dma.org.uk for more information.
Sign up to the Royal Mail Opt Out scheme and stop unaddressed mail delivered by Royal Mail.
Before signing up for this service, there are a few things you may wish to consider. Please download the document below for more information.
What to expect from the Royal Mail Opt Out scheme (word document, 85Kb)
If you wish to opt out of receiving Door to Door mail items, email your name and address to optout@royalmail.com or visit www.royalmail.com for further details.
Once you’ve opted out, Royal Mail will stop delivering unaddressed items to your address within 6 weeks.
Top tips
Say ‘No’ to further information
When you give your name and address to a company make sure you opt out of their mailing list and do not let them share your details with other companies.
Opt out of the edited register
When you fill out your electoral registration form make sure your details are not added to the ‘edited voting register’ which may be bought by companies for mailing purposes.
Return to sender
Junk mail with a return address can be returned. Just write on the envelope ‘Unsolicited mail, return to sender’ and pop it back in the post box.
Contact the sender
If you continue to receive junk mail contact the company directly to ask them to stop, they are legally obliged to respect your request.
