Sample Letters to the Editor for Do Not Mail campaign

Busy Person

Dear Editor,
Every day, my mailbox is full of junk mail that I did not request or want. I have tried to be very diligent about asking the businesses to remove my name from their mailing list, but it is a never-ending battle. Creating a Do Not Mail registry, like the Do Not Call registry is a great idea – even if it’s not perfect, I am sure it will be a massive improvement. Why do I have to waste my time sorting, shredding, and disposing of unwanted junk mail?  No one in my house reads it, so businesses should save their money and my time by taking me off their list!

Business Owner

Dear Editor,
As a small business owner, I would love to see a Do Not Mail registry. While direct mail is certainly a cost-effective way for small businesses to advertise, I cannot afford to send advertising to people who do not want to receive it – I might as well flush money right down the toilet. Customers have told me that direct mail is more of an annoyance than a benefit, so instead of annoying potential customers, I’d much rather have a refined list of people to target and attempt to reach the others in a less intrusive manner.

Financial Implications

Dear Editor,
A national Do Not Mail registry, like the Do Not Call registry is an excellent idea. Junk mail is only a financially beneficial way to advertise for businesses because the vast majority of us subsidize their costs.  If businesses were required to pay for the time and costs associated with disposing of their solicitations, I doubt it would be as effective.  Instead, these businesses pass these costs onto us – the very people they are trying solicit. In addition to buying their product or service, we’re also expected to dispose of their advertisements? Maybe I can bring them my dry cleaning bill or have them pay for my groceries?

Forest Protection and Environment

Dear Editor,
I must receive an entire forest of junk mail in my mailbox every year. At a time when our endangered forests, like the Canadian Boreal, are being destroyed at a rate of 2 acres a minute, 24 hours a day, I find it terribly distressing that one of the final products is junk mail. As soon as I realize the mail is a solicitation, it goes right into the recycling bin – I don’t even finish reading it. Its bad enough that some direct mail comes from endangered forests, but the production of one year’s junk mail produces the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions as 3.7 million cars! I understand the need to advertise, but the environmental damage that linked directly to the wastefulness of junk mail is simply inexcusable and it’s time for a national Do Not Mail registry.

Economy

Dear Editor,
The country seems to be headed towards a recession – if we’re not already in one. Instead of spending our money on critical programs, the country is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to dispose of junk mail. No one is going to make the argument that junk mail is the most pressing issue of our generation, but if we minimize this wasteful practice with a national Do Not Mail registry, like the Do Not Call registry, I’m sure we could put a few hundred million dollars to better use.

Identity Theft

Dear Editor,
Identity theft affects almost 9 million Americans to the tune of over $56 billion a year. One of the more disturbing ways to have your identity stolen is through the mail – especially unsolicited junk mail.  Identity theft is almost 2.5x more likely to occur from stolen mail than over the internet and the pre-approved credit cards and actual checks that register your bank account for withdrawals when deposited are serious threats to our financial safety. Like the Do Not Call registry, American could certainly benefit from the ability to registry for a national Do Not Mail registry – for our own protection and the protection of our endangered forests.

Learn more and get involved in our campaign at DoNotMail.org >>