How ditching junk mail will change your life, and save the planet

With Valentine’s Day just a few days away, you may be excited to receive a little something from a loved one or secret admirer. A special delivery is nice every now and then. And, though we are big fans of chocolates, flowers and gushy sentimental cards, we definitely don’t have a love affair with junk mail. The seemingly endless barrage of flyers, coupons, credit card offers and unwanted catalogues is both a personal and environmental nuisance.

We’ve been pretty clear on how we feel about protecting our planet from additional packaging and unnecessary emissions. Though we are a bit biased, part of our fondness for LEDs is that their lifespan is almost 50 times that of conventional incandescent products. That means fewer burnt out bulbs and less packaging clogging our landfills, as well as reduced CO2 emissions at every step of the journey from the factory to our homes.

Think about it, less bulb turn over will directly impact the number of trucks required to deliver the product to retailers and curb the associated vehicle exhaust polluting the air. It will also slow the need for continuous industrial manufacturing activity and make a dent in power generation station emissions as we will require less energy overall to fuel our daily activities. And it’s not just LEDs, this kind of thinking can be applied to other areas too.

Save The Planet One Step at a Time

We all have a role to play in responsible consumption. (We aren’t talking about your valentine chocolates). Consider how the production, transportation and disposal of all the items that cross our paths will ultimately affect the earth and the legacy we leave.

Environmental stewardship might sound daunting, but it isn’t difficult. A commitment to conservation, sustainable practices and a resolve to take action can be part of a larger change. You can even get started without leaving the house.

If you display a note on your mailbox that you do not wish to receive “unaddressed admail,” your mail carrier will stop delivering most unsolicited items to your home. This will help save trees, conserve water and reduce emissions associated with junk mail creation and delivery. This proactive step may also allow you to actually identify the legitimate mail at your doorstep, which seems to feature less and less these days.

Surprisingly, despite offering this service for more than a decade, Canada Post stats show that only 2% of households have made this arrangement. What’s more disheartening is that 25% of us are discarding the fistful of materials without even reading the content. We think it’s time for a change and this one should only take a few minutes.

In addition to the mailbox sign, you can contact your financial institution and other service providers to request electronic statements instead of paper notifications. They will probably be happy to oblige since this will reduce costs on their end.

We can all improve our relationship with paper by refusing junk mail, recycling at every opportunity, reusing and reducing where possible. And this Valentine’s Day, why not show your love for the environment and your special someone with an online magazine subscription.