What works for all the unsolicited junk mail I receive.....if the solicitor
encloses a POSTAGE PAID envelope with their propaganda, I stuff everything I
can into the POSTAGE PAID envelope and MAIL IT BACK to them, after I have
"Xed" through offers or signature lines! Then the companies have to pay
the postage (again) and utilize staff (or equipment) to open the envelope to
discover I'm NOT interested in their offers! This has greatly reduced my
incoming mail.
NANCY CARPER
Integrated Solid Waste Manager
USAF Center for Environmental Excellence
Brooks AFB Texas
210-536-4964
nancy.carper@hqafcee.brooks.af.mil
-----Original Message-----
From: Roger Guttentag [mailto:rgutten@concentric.net]
Sent: Wednesday, July 12, 2000 12:19 PM
To: multiple recipients of
Subject: [GRRN] Junk Mail
Dear GreenYesers:
The recent message by Mary Appelhof to GreenYes on the huge waste of
material resources from the billions of direct mail marketing pieces sent
out for credit card solicitations is part of a long history of messages
about junk mail posted to this and other lists. Mary's suggestion regarding
who you can contact about getting your name removed from mailing lists is
helpful but, within the current legal environment, I feel it is an almost
futile strategy. Trying to get your name removed from direct marketing
databases is like fighting the mythical Hydra - I believe that for every
success you have in getting your name deleted from one database, it gets
added to three other databases at the same time. This problem will persist
as long as the current system provides only "opt-out" options for
individuals. This situation exists because direct marketing companies
operate under the legal presumption that they have the right to send you
unsolicited offers through the mail. You can refuse these offers, of
course, but a waste of material resources occurs as a result. Even though
many communities and waste management services now offer residents the
opportunity to recycle their junk mail (including mine), unfortunately this
solution is attenuated by the problems emerging over identity theft forces
me (and others) to now shred any unsolicited junk mail that I deem to be of
a sensitive financial nature which severely diminishes its recyclability.
But even if every ounce of material from direct mailings is recycled, it's
still a waste of resources if you never wanted the mailing in the first
place.
The only sustainable solution to the problem of unwanted soliticitations of
any kind, snail mail, e-mail, etc., is for our legal system to recognize
that you own your name and you have the right to determine how it is used or
who could use it. This would change the rules of direct marketing to
consumers from an "opt-out" model to an "opt-in" model; that is, I am
legally protected from receiving unwanted direct marketing solicitations
unless I choose (by opting-in) to receive them through some form of explicit
permission. To further strengthen the consumer's right to not receive
unwanted direct marketing solicitations, this permission must be explicitly
renewed on a periodic basis (e.g. annually).
Obviously, there will be millions of people who will be willing to be bribed
by small gifts to give their permission to direct marketers. That is their
choice. But I am sure there will be millions more, like myself, who won't
be bribed (or at least won't sell out cheaply). The bottom line is that I
want that choice which I don't have now.
I think that any future discussion about the waste problems associated with
unsolicitated direct marketing that does not address the need for an opt-in
marketing system is just whining and complaining. I would be really
interested in knowing if opt-in solutions have been legislatively proposed
or if there are any organizations that are seriously advocating opt-in
direct marketing policies. We should know about these, and, support those
that make sense.
Sincerely,
Roger M. Guttentag
610-584-8836
Read Recycling in Cyberspace in Resource Recycling
July 2000 topic : MRF virtual tours
Other Archives - Generated on : Wed Jul 12 2000 - 15:32:05 EDT