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Say no to junk mail

Sustainable living › Stop waste before it starts › Say no to junk mail

More than 85 billion pieces of unsolicited mail get dropped in mail boxes around the country each year – about 100 pounds for every household. Read on for easy instructions to help you lighten the load in your mailbox and stop the cycle of waste.

Stop junk mail before it starts

Ask companies you've done business with, organizations you’ve donated to and anyone who sends you a bill not to sell or exchange your address.
If you move, directly contact everyone yourself instead of submitting the post office change of address form. Otherwise, junk mail can follow you to your new address.
Don't submit product registration cards.
Don't use a store’s "buyer’s club" card when making purchases.
Avoid participating in sweepstakes or contests unless you are able to prevent your information from being shared. Look for disclosure notices in the sweepstakes and contest literature.
List only your telephone number in your local directory, or choose to be unlisted.

Opt out online

Not only can junk mail fill your mailbox and add to your household's clutter, it wastes our planet's resources. Metro and Catalog Choice offer you a free online service to help you stop the waste of unwanted phone books, catalogs and mail.

Opt out of junk mail now

Don't want to opt out online?

Use the instructions below to cut down on junk mail waste offline, one phone call or postcard at a time.

Top tips for opt-out success

When contacting a company that is sending you unwanted mail, you’ll improve your chances of getting your name removed from their list by providing the exact name and address on the label you receive.

When unwanted mail comes with a postage-paid envelope, use it to return the mailing label along with a written request to remove your name from the organization’s mailing list.

After you contact companies, be patient – it can take three to six months to see results. And you may need to contact them again in five years or sooner if the junk mail arriving in your mail box starts to increase.

Get off of the lists

Many companies that send unwanted mail are members of the Direct Marketing Association. Call 212-768-7277 to request that your name be placed on the suppression file or send a note with a $1 check or money order (not cash) to:

Mail Preference Service
C/O Direct Marketing Association
P.O. Box 643
Carmel, NY 10512

Some direct marketing businesses are members of DMA, so it might be more effective to contact some businesses directly. There’s no harm in doubling up.

Acxiom (request an opt-out form)
877-774-2094

Abacus (to stop unwanted catalogs)
P.O. Box 1478
Broomfield, CO 80038
800-518-4453

InfoUSA / Donnelley Marketing
Database Operations
1020 E. First Street
Papillion, NE 68046
800-794-1237

Other lists

Publishers Clearing House
382 Channel Drive
Port Washington, NY 11050
800-645-9242

Reader’s Digest
P.O. Box 50005
Prescott, AZ 86301-5005
877-732-4438

Cut down on coupons

Valpak Coupons (Cox Target Media)
800-237-6266

Valassis Direct Mail, Inc. (or Red Plum)
Director of List Maintenance
Consumer Assistance
P.O. Box 249
Windsor, CT 06095
or call 800-437-0479

Stop unwanted credit card offers

Contact your credit card companies directly. To opt out of Trans Union, Equifax and Experian lists call 888-567-8688 every two years.

Hold the phone books

Many directories dropped at your door have opt-out instructions on the front or the inside cover. Otherwise, call the company that distributes the directory.

You can also opt out of phone books online with a free service from Metro and Catalog Choice.

Opt out of phone books online
Opt out of phone books by mail or phone