Here's an opportunity for us to save a few trees! We caught up with Postman Pat [pictured, right] earlier to give us the inside dirt on the criminal world of junk mail...
HHH: So Pat, do you really think it would make much of a difference for me to stop junk mail coming to my place?
Pat: Why yes, in fact the book 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth (Earthworks) featured stopping junk mail as its number 1 recommendation.
HHH: Interesting! Pat, I'm curious. Where on earth is all this mail coming from?
Pat: Most of the junk mail jammed into Australian letterboxes is manufactured by a company that produces Australia's magazine paper. About 70-80% of the content comes from timber plantations. Very little recycled content is used. It's jolly bad.
HHH: Well I'll be damned. How much junk mail would you say is distributed every year?
Pat: 550,000 tonnes of the stuff back in the UK, 100 million trees worth in America and about 8.2 billion unaddressed leaflets and catalogues in Australia.
HHH:Wow. That's heaps. Anything you'd like to add?
Pat: Actually, yes. The production of junk mail also uses a significant amount of energy and causes air pollution. Each tonne produced uses enough energy to heat an average home for 6 months and causes 26 kilograms of air pollutants. Don’t forget too about the pollution caused in the disposal of the junk mail, such as the pollution from the trucks which haul it away. This applies to junk mail that you recycle, too.
HHH:Thankyou Postman Pat, we know you're a busy man but you’ve been very informative and you have convinced me, JUNK MAIL IS FOR LOSERS! I'll let you get back to your cat now Pat, he looks hungry.
Pat:Jolly good. Cheerio!
So there you have it folks. Pretty startling facts there. So now on to my favourite part - what can you do? Two very quick and easy steps!
1) First, visit the Australian Direct Marketing Association website & fill in a quick form to reduce the amount of unsolicited mail you receive from marketing companies.
2) Whack a 'No Junk Mail' sticker on your letterbox. For a free silver & black sticker, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to:
DSB Sticker
PO Box 6252
Karingal Vic 3199
Why not enclose a couple of stamped self-addressed envelopes, get a sticker for a neighbour, friend or relative too. For more information on this offer, click here.
Well done you if you choose to take these steps - you'll be doing an awesome thing for the planet!
*Postman Pat would like to thank Intelisigns for helping him get his facts straight.
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