Junk mail 'goes straight to recycling,' and commenters share how to stop most of it

A full mailbox isn't always a welcome sight, especially when much of what is inside heads for the bin without even being opened. 

That annoyance was the focus of a Reddit post in which one user said the junk mail and ads they receive "immediately go straight to the recycling bin."

Here's what to know

The discussion appeared in a thread on the site's r/Anticonsumption forum, where the original poster asked whether there was a way to stop the flow of unwanted mail. 

The OP wrote, "It's so irritating and wasteful all the junk mail these advertisers send. Is there a way to opt out of them? They immediately go straight to the recycling bin when I get my mail every morning. Don't even look at them."

In response, other users shared a range of practical suggestions for reducing the amount of promotional mail they receive.

One reply broke the problem into categories and recommended different opt-out resources for each, adding that OP could use, "Optoutprescreen.com for credit card offers. You can opt out of grocery circulars on Red Plum/Save site in many areas. Catalogchoice.org is good for most of the rest of the big name mailing lists."

That same person said the approach was not perfect but had made a noticeable difference, adding, "You'll always get a few local ads and some political junk mail but for the most part I get a junk mail maybe once a week now."

Another person recommended, "Check your local laws. In my country, you can put a 'no advertisements' sticker on your letterbox which already prevents a bunch of those kinda things."

A third user wrote, "I've had mixed success opting out of junk mail. Sometimes I am able to find on the company's website a way to opt out, sometimes I write RETURN TO SENDER on the junk and DO NOT SEND MAIL TO THIS ADDRESS."

More background

Throwing junk mail into the recycling still comes after the paper has already been made, printed, shipped, and brought to someone's door. So even when it is disposed of responsibly, it can still represent extra material use, transportation, and household effort for something the recipient never asked for.

Unfortunately, as some commenters noted, cutting down on junk mail may take several separate steps rather than one universal request. Credit card solicitations, store catalogs, grocery flyers, and neighborhood advertising can come from different systems, so stopping one type may not affect the others.

Where can I learn more?

Complaints about junk mail are hardly limited to this Reddit thread. Other residents have described stuffed mailboxes, repeat deliveries, and the annoyance of dealing with paper they never asked for.

• One homeowner said "A Bible's worth" of junk mail kept hitting their mailbox week after week.

• Another resident shared a daily inundation of junk mail and felt there was no way out.

• One man set the ridiculous stack of junk mail beside his few important letters.

These stories show how common the problem is and how hard it can be to stop once it starts. They also help explain why so many households keep looking for every opt-out and reuse strategy they can find.

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