Are you looking for a simple way to take environmental action and stop all that pesky junk mail from ending up in your recycling or even worse, your garbage? Green Calgary has been running a campaign since 2007 and would like to help you "Dump the Junk"!

Stopping junk mail requires 2 steps: 1) stop unaddressed flyers and 2) stop addressed ad mail. Here are ways to "Dump the Junk":

1) Put a "no junk mail," sticker in your mailbox to stop unaddressed ad mail. You can buy one from our EcoStore for just $2 (#308, 301-14th St NW) or fashion your own. You can even get some for friends and family, too!

2) Register on the Canadian Marketing Association's website for their "do not mail" service to stop addressed ad mail. By doing this, you will be taken off new contact lists and will receive fewer addressed pieces of ad mail. This may take a while to kick in, because the contact lists already in the hands of marketers can't be altered. For businesses you have a relationship with, or did have at one time, contact them directly and ask to be taken off their mailing lists.

3) Make use of e-statements and e-billing through e-post. Register for free and this service delivers bills and other documents electronically from select mailers and you can view and store them electronically for free, too! Many epost mailers also allow for electronic bill payment. 

4) Make use of Canada Post's Consumer Choice Program. This allows you to opt out of receiving many local and national businesses' unaddressed advertising. Note: this option does not discontinue the delivery of unaddressed advertising by parties other than Canada Post.

5) For unaddressed ad mail not delivered by Canada Post you will need to contact the businesses themselves and ask to be taken off their lists directly.

6) Incorrectly addressed and sent mail costs our environment (and wallets) in terms of transporting, sorting and returning. When you move, make sure you send out change of address notices and let people know your new address. You can also purchase a service from Canada Post to re-direct your mail (before it goes to your old address) to anyone you may have missed.

7) Gotta' have some of those coupons and flyers from stores you love? Many of them have online coupons or try coupon sites for your favourite products you can download to your phone (instead of printing, cutting, and remembering to bring to the store) and online flyers that can help you do some comparison shopping in the comfort of your living room (avoiding all that driving to get the best deals).

8) If you do have junk mail, please recycle it and keep it from our landfills as it doesn't decompose and ends up generating green house gases. Not sure if your junk mail can be recycled? Check this list for all the acceptable paper products allowed in your blue bin.