Campaign Earth - step by step conservation

c a m p a i g n e a r t h ! n. a series of actions undertaken to achieve a sustainable future.

Lessen the junk mail and catalogs coming to your house!

Did you know that more than 17 billion catalogs were distributed in the United States in 2001 - that's more than sixty-four for every man, woman, and child. Not surprisingly, this requires a lot of paper, the fourth most energy-intensive of all manufacturing industries and one of the most polluting. The average American uses over 700 pounds of paper per year. The good news is we've got some simple steps for you to take to greatly reduce that number. If we successfully reduced the number of catalogs produced in this country by 30% we would: preserve 16.6 billion gallons of water each year = the amount of water used by 172,333 households.* conserve over 100 barrels of oil keep 3.5 million tons of CO2 out of the atmosphere = the amount of CO2 produced by 570,000 cars driven 200 miles/ week annually.* *Figures from The Alliance for Environmental Innovation (www.environmentaldefense.org/alliance/catalogs_tips.html) Listed below are three actions you can take to lessen the mail you receive. Take a look at the list and do what you can. Remember, every action counts. Stop Those Unwanted Catalogs! Now, with the internet, we can do most of our mail order shopping online. Stack your unwanted catalogs in a pile and spend ten minutes a week calling to request that your name be removed from their mailing list. Receive Less Junk Mail! Send a short letter to: DMA Mail Preference Service, P.O. Box 643, Carmel, NY 10512. You can read more about this at DMAConsumers.org. You need to include $1. List your name, in all its infinite variations, and request that all of these names be removed from their national database. This removal lasts five years, so keep this address handy. For more information contact the DMA at 212-768-7277. Keep Your Catalogs and Magazines out of the Landfill! Many municipalities don't accept catalogs as part of their recycling program so find a second home for them. Keep them out of the landfill by dropping them off at a local hospital, assisted living home, senior residence facility or school (they use them for art classes and other projects). It's the next best thing.

Duration: 30 days

Average CO2 Savings: 70 pounds a month Taken from www.campaignearth.org