Chiswick Recycling Action Group calls time on unsolicited mail

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Time to Junk the Junk

Chiswick Recycling Action Group calls time on unsolicited mail

If you are drowning under mountains of invitations to partake of a free valuation of your property or try out yet another fast food delivery service help may be at hand.

The Chiswick Recycling Action Group (CRAG) is launching a campaign to reduce the atrocious waste of resources that junk mail represents.

They recently ran a pilot to test the success of putting up a sign beside their letterbox requesting no junk mail.

Over a ten-day period in August, Pam Richardson, of Merton Avenue, Chiswick, put up a homemade sign and received no unsolicited mail. In the same time-period, a friend received twenty-nine items of junk mail (274 grams) through her letterbox.

In the second trial last month, Mrs Richardson received three items, while her friend received 21.

Pam Richardson said: "Junk mail is such as waste - so much paper is consumed, and I can’t imagine anyone reads it! In our house, it has always gone straight into the recycling box."

Unsolicited mail often clutters letterboxes with many different leaflets and circulars, from local window cleaners, restaurants, fast food outlets and store promotions, to mini-cab companies and probably worst of all estate agents.

Studies of response to this kind of promotion suggest that it is just as likely to alienate a potential customer as gain new business. People are becoming increasingly conscious of the fact that glossy marketing literature tends not to be printed on recycled paper and that the production processes for the ink which is used can be just as harmful as the deforestation that results from paper production.

Some local businesses cite environmental concerns as a reason for using ChiswickW4.com as a way of advertising their business. Tim Clapham, managing director of a company that manages home improvement projects from the design stage through to completion said,

"We have found promoting our business on ChiswickW4.com much more cost effective than traditional advertising media and it has the added bonus of being a very environmentally sound way of getting new clients."

All promotions on the site cost less than a penny per time your ad is seen, so as well as not wasting huge amounts of paper, it is much cheaper than the alternatives. If you are interested in more information call 020 8994 7888 or e-mail advertise@chiswickw4.com.

Hounslow’s Recycling Team has some top tips to deal with the unwanted paper, while being environmentally friendly at the same time.

There are a number of options to reduce the amount of junk mail:
• Join the Mailing Preference Service (MPS). The MPS is a register that individuals can put their name onto to stop unsolicited 'junk' mail. People can choose to opt out of receiving all unsolicited mail, or only receive certain categories, e.g. gardening.
• Put up a notice saying ‘No leaflets, No circulars’ – most people will respect your request.
• When filling out forms, don’t tick the box requesting information on offers the company or third parties may think suit your lifestyle unless you are really interested.
• Finally, if you do get junk mail, remember to recycle it by putting it in your green box!

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October 15, 2003