Junk Mail

We talk about emissions. We talk about green house gases and global warming. But I dont here much talk about how JUNK MAIL contributes to all of this.

After all, how do you think all of that paper is produced? Any trees cut down in the process? Any gasses emitted in making the paper, printing the paper and in mail trucks delivering the mail to us? All of this waste only for us to look at a piece of paper, open the envelope and--a few minutes later--put it in the recycle bin.

What are the statistics on that stuff anyways? I think it's like 6% will stop and look, 3% will call back, and 1% will actually buy your product or use your services. Pretty horrible odds, if you ask me. "The Donald" must know--I have yet to receive junk mail from him.

What are you [direct mail senders] all thinking? What happened to building your clientelle the old fashioned way--word of mouth? Why spend tons of money on direct mail? Besides, I thought strong businesses were built on great relationships. By missleading the average person into opening the envelope promissing the improbable, what kind of a relationship are you building? If statistics say that JUNK MAIL is only 1% - 3% successful, what are you telling the other 97% - 99%?

Please clue me in, because I'm not getting it.

Comments: 12

Claude Gelinas Aug 2, 2006, 12:30am EDT

Spam "economics" evade all logic, unfortunately.

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Irene G. Aug 2, 2006, 1:31am EDT

I agree with you. To much junk mail out put in the mail boxes every day. Nothing like the internet that isn't as easy as blocking it.

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Dolphi D. Aug 2, 2006, 6:10am EDT

Several email providers automatically route the junk mail to the "junk" folders. I see thousands of them accumulating in the junk folder of my Yahoo mail. The 2 gb of memory size is big enough not to be bothered about them. I never bother to open the folder; I simply click on the "empty folder" button.

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Sarah C. Aug 2, 2006, 6:28am EDT

I agree. While I do appreciate getting some catalogs (ones I actually order from), and I don't mind getting annual or bi-annual soliciations from charities I regularly support, I really don't like random soliciations and other junk mail. I once tried to cut down on a modicome of the junk mail that fills my mailbox by asking the post office not to deliver the weekly circulars to our house. They told me that by law they are required to deliver everything sent out. I guess that makes sense, but I was awfully frustrated that there is no way to stop some of the unwanted paper flow from entering my house.

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Anita O. Aug 2, 2006, 9:57am EDT

Dolphi. I was referring to the PAPER JUNK MAIL in our SNAIL mailboxes. I dont mind putting the SPAM in its proper folder.

It's just that the wasted paper and resources bother me.

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Anita O. Aug 2, 2006, 10:02am EDT

Paul. I'm not sure that I agree with you 100%.

I just wanted people to think for a moment before sending out direct mail--expecially those smaller loan officers. It really is not that great a way to drum up buisiness. Not to mention it's harm to the environment.

Thanks for you perspective :-)

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Dolphi D. Aug 2, 2006, 12:02pm EDT

I am sorry I didn't pay attention. The waste of paper and resources is a point of concern. The paper can be recycled, but the amount of labor and resources going into that printed matter which nobody reads, could have been put to better use.

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Carl Neeld Aug 2, 2006, 3:34pm EDT

I have read that whatever the standard expected response rate to mass mailings, let's say 3%, the same rate will hold up for three mailings. That is, if you send a mailing to 1,000 people, you can expect 30 to respond. Send the same mailing to the same 1.000 people and you can expect another 30 to respond. And again a third time, then the expectations become zilch. Don't know whether or not this is true but it seems peculiar to me.

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Katrina J. Aug 10, 2006, 9:35am EDT

Any junk mail that I receive with a return address is marked "refused, return to sender" and stuck back in the box. It is a teeny-tiny little personal protest, but it makes me feel pretty good at times.

If mail doesn't have a return address, I'll open it. If there is a postage paid envelope inside, I seal it up and stick it in the mail box.

I save up the "newspapery" stuff (sale ads, etc) and use them for a weed barrier in my gardens - I just lay them out in layers under the mulch or straw... by the next season they are composted / rotted, have contributed to the soil, and have slowed weed growth.

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Anita O. Aug 10, 2006, 12:16pm EDT

Katrina--great solutions.

Just want to warn you and others who use newspaper as compost or as warming fuel. Colored inks are poisonous and should not be recycled or used as fuel. The paper with black ink is ok, but watch out for colored inks.

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Comments: 12

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