If the effort is painless, why not do our part, right? What if it’s even better than painless? What if these tips could make life even easier, and at the same time be good for the environment? They do both. That’s why they are two of the favorite tips I’ve found: conduct as much correspondence online as possible instead of through [paper] mail, and curb the flow of all that [paper] junk mail.
Computer Correspondence
You can pay bills and receive your monthly statements online, as well as asking questions about products or looking for coupons, rebates, etc. You might be surprised by how much correspondence can be dealt with without a single piece of paper (or fuel to deliver all that paper). Register your products, renew your warranty, or even send a note, greeting card, or an invitation.
Of course, using the computer does require energy, but how many of us are online a good deal of time anyway? Paying a bill takes maybe 30 seconds once the accounts are set up, instead of mail being delivered to us and then sent back again.
*Just be sure your security, anti-virus, anti-spyware are properly configured and updated regularly, and only use secure sites.
Real Life Spam?
Above, we began to limit real mail. Wouldn’t it be nice to also get rid of more junk mail? Before Internet spam, there was real life spam and unfortunately, it isn’t going away. However, you can limit the amount you receive, and also limit the paper products required, the fuel used to deliver it, and the amount that ends up in landfills. How? You will need your computer again. Register with DMA Consumers to have your name removed from as many mailing lists as possible.
Who knew it could be so easy?
*Please be sure to read the information provided by DMA(and of course any and all fine print) before registering.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: More Painless Ways to do Our Part