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On Earth Day: Keep the Trees In the Forest

Posted on: Thursday, 2 April 2009, 04:11 CDT

Environmental group stops household junk mail

DETROIT, April 2 /PRNewswire/ -- With growing public concern about climate change and the health of the planet, 41pounds.org offers a quick, easy and effective way that everyone can make a difference: stop junk mail. In North America's largest forest, trees are being logged at a rate of 2 acres a minute, 24 hours a day to produce junk mail, catalogs and other paper products. Junk mail is more than a personal nuisance, it's an environmental hazard.

41pounds.org will stop your junk mail for five years by contacting dozens of direct mail companies to remove your name from their marketing lists. This includes almost all credit card applications and coupon mailers, plus any catalogs you specify. 41pounds.org also will donate more than 1/3 of the $41 fee to the environmental or community organization of your choice. Already 41pounds.org has donated more than $200,000 to environmental and community organizations such as Trees for the Future, American Forests, Friends of the Urban Forest, Outward Bound, StopGlobalWarming.org, Habitat for Humanity chapters and Audubon Los Angeles.

Here are the stunning facts about junk mail:

• The average adult receives 41 pounds of junk mail per year.
• More than 100 million trees are destroyed each year to produce junk mail.
• Creating and shipping junk mail produces more greenhouse gas emissions than 9 million cars.
• About 28 billion gallons of water are wasted to produce and recycle junk mail each year.
• The average American wastes about 8 hours a year dealing with junk mail.

"Earth Day reminds each of us that our individual choices matter," said Sander DeVries, co-founder of 41pounds.org. "Together we can keep trees in the forest when we use less paper, buy recycled products and stop junk mail."

Green Yoga Association's Gillian Kapteyn Comstock said, "41pounds.org has provided a simple step people can take to protect healthy forests and a healthy climate."

As an alternative to the complete 41pounds.org service, people can take the "do it yourself" approach with the Stop Junk Mail Kit (available for $12.50 at www.stopjunkmailkit.com). The kit includes pre-addressed postcards, phone numbers, websites, an online catalog directory and tips for staying off marketing lists.

To sign up or learn more, go to http://www.41pounds.org/

SOURCE 41pounds.org

Source: PR Newswire

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