Campaign to stop junk mail

[thedudeistoocool]

There was an article about a company plantng trees to counter junk mail in todays Sunday paper and it told me it was time to start stumping for my private crusede again

This idea was sent to me several years ago and I may actually be the only person still doing it (being that I still get craploads of junk mail)

At the end of every week I open up all the junk mail I have received - remove my name from the inserted information then I stuff the mail back into the preaddressed return envelopes to be mailed, you know those "No Postage Necessary" bulk return mailers they send with their crap.

The trick is I return all the junk from company "A" in Company "B's" envelopes and Company "B's" junk gets returned to Company "C" and Company "C's" junk gets sent to Company "A"

All the junk mail is created and sent out by computers and machines so the cost is minimal to send BUT it has to be processed by real live people - even if it is full of crap when sent back This actually creates jobs (albeit briefly and minimum wage at that)

Now if everybody did this the numbers of returned mailers would be in the 100,000's if not millions and it would still require someone to open it all just in case there was one letter pertaining to their business in the truckload. It would become too costly for companies to continue these practices and they would eventually have to stop. Or it may just create a whole new industry of letter openers if you are in the entreprenurial spirit. It only take a few minutes per week and it is an incredible stress reliever - much nicer than just tossing the mail into the recycler bin.

Have fun.

[uspirate]

Originally Posted by thedudeistoocool

I stuff the mail back into the preaddressed return envelopes to be mailed, you know those "No Postage Necessary" bulk return mailers they send with their crap.

I send em pizza coupons, $9.95 oil changes, carpet cleaning coupons.even sent em a sample of the wallpaper in my bedroom once. theyre paying for it and it keeps the post office in business

[Sapperwhite]

As much as I hate junk mail, I can't believe it never occurred to me....Thanks. (I'm a real A-Hole too, what was I not thinking???)

[SimonV]

I like Junk Mail, makes me feel like I have friends.

[ReverendMike]

Dude
Nice idea, I used to do it, but I guess I have less stress in my life now (or less junk mail) 'cuz I've gotten out of the habit. A friend once told me that he would tape a brick to one of those envelopes and the PO would take it and supposedly bill whatever company it was. Don't know how true that was, but nice idea for when the junk mail gets too much.

[DJEVANS]

Neat idea-made me giggle and I needed to today. Thanks.

[sharkbait]

I've sent nails and other scrap metal back.It increases the cost of return postage.

[thedudeistoocool]

Wow ! I really like the brick idea, although I don't have an unlimited supply of bricks, but there is an alternative source of dead weight, I could cram in some of my garbage that can't be recycled or composted - say those styrofoam trays and that weird plastic-like stuff that meat comes wrapped with Now I feel like an amateur because these alternatives never occured to me

USPIRATE - I love the $9.99 oil change, especially when they say
IF YOU AREN'T COMPLETELY SATISFIED WE'LL TAKE THE OIL RIGHT BACK OUT OF YOUR CAR !
ah but, but then I won't have any oil in my car ?
WELL FORTUNATELY FOR YOU -- WE SELL OIL HERE !

those guys crack me up

[CapnHand]

I put a sign on my mailbox "PLEASE: No flyers. No junk mail." It didn't totally eliminate the problem, but it took care of most of it.