Receiving of junk-mail should be opt-in

We are in a situation now where thousands of tons of junk mail are being
delivered to homes throughout the UK annually. In the vast majority of
cases this mail is unwanted.

Jackie...

They used to keep on about `save the trees` and not waste paper - you
don't hear much about saving the trees nowadays!

Mike Clayton...

Exactly, Royal Mail have a vested interest in the circulation of junk
mail, whatever the cost to the environment.

The costs to the environment must be huge, forests decimated to produce
the mail in the first place, then the environmental costs in fossil
fuels and pollution in transporting and delivering it, and finally the
costs involved in collecting and ultimately disposing of it. If
incinerated it causes pollution and affects the environment, and again
there are consequences if it is disposed of in landfill sites.

This is total madness, a never ending cycle of producing junk mail just
to dispose of it. Who actually wants to receive it? I don't, and I don't
know anyone who does.

The Royal Mail of course has a vested interest in delivering junk mail,
they get huge sums for delivering the stuff, knowing full well that the
majority of it will go straight into the dustbin. If a householder
decides that they do not wish to receive junk mail they have to
negotiate an 'obstacle course' set up by the Royal Mail. They are
required to write to Door to Door Customer Services stating that they
wish to opt out of receiving junk mail. That is not the end of it, they
then receive a letter and a reply form that they need to sign and return
to terminate the service. Fine, you might think, but that is not the end
of it. The termination of service only lasts two years, then they need
to go through the process again.

For the sake of the environment, instead of making the matter an opt-out
situation, the Government should make it an opt-in situation.

linedancer...

I sent an email to optout@royalmail.com
This was the reply
Dear Customer

Thank you for your recent correspondence. I understand from your
letter/telephone call that you are considering "Opting Out" of receiving
Door to Door items. As a company we are quite happy to put the wheels in
motion to arrange the cessation of these deliveries to your premises but
before doing so, I need to make you fully aware of the implications of
"Opting Out" and once you have considered these, get your final written
authorisation to cease deliveries of this nature.

The main areas to be considered are:

· This service only relates to unaddressed mail. Mail bearing your
address and "To the Occupier" or any other generic recipient information,
Royal Mail is still legally obliged to deliver.

· It is not possible for us to separate advertising material and
information that you may want, such as leaflets from Central and Local
Government and other public bodies. Opting out from Royal Mail Door to Door
stops all unaddressed items.

· Opting out means no one at the Delivery point will receive mail of this
nature, is this acceptable to everyone inhabiting the property?

· If you simply want to reduce the amount of direct mail addressed in full
to yourself you can do so by registering with The Mailing Preference
Service. They can limit or reduce targeted direct mail by up to 90%. To
obtain an information pack please contact them at:

MPS, DMA House, 70 Margaret St., LONDON, W1W 8SS

Mike Clayton...

Thanks for that Linedancer.

I have already registered with that organisation. Would be so much
better if we had to opt-in to receive unsolicited mail though.

Ali...

The advertisers would just switch to another leaflet drop company, or put
addresses on it.

If you legislated to stop all unsolicited mail/leaflets that would stop
for instance, the safety notices sent out round here from the local
industries, the newsletter from the council, the community newpaper, the
notice of a public meeting to protest at clearance plans, all of which I
want, as well as the ads for pizza/burger/kebab/indian/chinese takeaways,
high rate credit cards, and consumer surveys, which I don't.

If you still wish to Opt Out of receiving Door to Door, please complete the
form enclosed and return it to the above address and we will process your
request. Every effort will be made to prevent the delivery of Door-to-Door
items by Royal Mail. Exceptionally, if relief staff are used, an
occasional delivery may occur.

Please be advised that it may take up to 6 weeks or more for the
implementation of unaddressed mail to not be delivered by Royal Mail.

Finally, there are, a number of other companies that deliver material
through your letterbox. We have no control over their actions. Again, the
Mailing Preference Service, can offer advice on firms operating in your
area:

Yours sincerely

Royal Mail Door to Door
Opt Out Team

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| 'Stop Door to Door' Confirmation Form
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| To:| Door to Door Opt Outs
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| | Royal Mail Door to Door
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| | Kingsmead House
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| | Oxpens Road
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| | OXFORD
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| | OX1 1RX
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Old Grizzly...

if Royal Mail put it through the door why cant we mark it *Return To
Sender* and put it back in the post box LOL

Bram...

Yes Yes yes!!!
It's money in their pocket though innit.
They are not going to stop doing it.

Mike Clayton...

They aren't going to stop as long as we accept it. I might just stick it
back in the post box :-)