How to Stop Junk Mail
Register With These Services
CatalogChoice.com
Sign up for a free account, and set your preferences accordingly. (Provided by the Story of Stuff Project.)
DMAChoice.org
Same idea as above, but for a wider scope. Register for a free account and choose your preferences. (Can also do email opt-outs here as well as stop mail being sent to deceased persons.)
Credit Cards: Optoutprescreen.org
They try to talk you into continuing to receive “offers,” but keep in mind that if you’re ever again interested in “0% for 12 months!” kind of offers, you’re better off shopping around online than going with a company just because they happen to solicit you. (Credit unions have the best ongoing rates.)
As for the rest…
First, I suggest setting a “zero junk mail goal”; maybe even a “zero physical mail” goal, so as to have the best chance of nixing the unnecessary pile. Keep in mind these mailings are wasting not only material resources but also your time and energy dealing with them.
Second, use the three services above.
Third, after a few months, start individually targeting companies that are still sending you stuff. For example, if Bed Bath & Beyond persists in sending you coupons, look for the (very tiny) opt-out message on the flyer. (And if you think you’ll miss those coupons, just remember you have a bazillion neighbors who will be all too happy to share!) You can also ask charities you support and current credit card companies to only solicit you once per year or remove you completely from mailed solicitation lists. I’ve had a harder time with companies like Chase. I’m now at the point where I’m collecting their flyers so as to mail them back a big package with a large note saying “Please remove this address from your database.”
This website offers additional resources for removing yourself from various lists: ecocycle.org.