Along with our household recycling, we’ve been making an effort to avoid bringing home unnecessary bags and packaging. It’s surprising how much you can reduce just by not taking it home with you in the first place. But one of the more annoying sources of ‘stuff you don’t need’ shows up unbidden at our front door.
Junk mail. Despite efforts to get off lists, we still get tons of it. My business mailbox is even worse – my box is always full of both addressed and unaddressed junk mail.
But you can do something about unaddressed junk mail. I got this message today from a Facebook group I belong to:
A few Vancouver sustainability instigators have just launched the Red Dot Campaign – Canada Post will honour your wish to have no unaddressed junk mail delivered if you place the dot on your mailbox.
For info: www.reddotcampaign.ca – you can download a snazzy dot from the site.
Spread the word!And a great big thank you to the campaign leaders for taking the initiative!
Check them out at the Red Dot website.
The process is super simple – just download the Red Dot PDF from the site, and you’re off.
Who-ever you ‘sustainability instigators’ are, and to Canada Post – THANK YOU !
[ed. note: please see the comments for more information - thanks Beth ]
Coincidentally, as I was writing, Aron posted about the move to get rid of plastic bags – easily replaced by reusable cloth bags. It’s nice to see most grocery retailers going this way – we used our Duthie Books cloth bags for years for this very purpose !
Hi Guys! Beth Ringdahl here instigator of the Red Dot Campaign. Thanks for the coverage of our campaign.
Just an update as we get more info from Canada Post. The official process is to leave a signed note — We will have the additional pdf posted shortly. This preferred process ensures you get marked in the “Consumer Choice” option for Canada Post. Advertisers check these numbers when estimating print quantities so its important we “register” correctly so we can reduce paper — our ultimate goal. My understanding is that the process may vary according to your letter carrier…
Use the letter text below if you like: leave the letter in your box clearly marked for your postal carrier. I get the feeling this is pushing the envelope a bit – so if it doesn’t work within a couple weeks, post your findings here and let’s help keep this moving!
—————————–
To My Postal Carrier:
Please deliver this letter to the Canada Post Consumers Choice Program.
Thank you!
——
Dear Canada Post Consumers Choice Program:
I have joined the Red Dot Campaign in an effort to reduce unwanted mail.
Please remove me from all unaddressed mail distribution.
This letter, combined with the red dot on my mailbox, expresses my wish to stop receiving unaddressed flyers and mail. I understand that it may take a couple of weeks before the database is adjusted and the junk mail stops.
I also understand that Canada Post will still deliver some unaddressed items, such as community newspapers and letters from the House of Commons, provincial and municipal electoral offices and Elections Canada. And I realize that some unaddressed mail comes from distributors other than Canada Post, so I may still receive mail from these other services.
Thank you, Canada Post, for making this option available, and for giving us the choice to reduce our paper consumption!
Name: ______________________________________
Street: ______________________________________
Province: ___________ Postal Code: ____________
Signed: ______________________________________