The Arbor Day Celebration at Alemany Farm in early March reminded us at Green Zebra of the importance of planting new trees and preserving existing ones. It’s shocking that every year 100 million trees are logged to produce 100 billion pieces of U.S. junk mail, the creation of which generates more carbon emissions than that produced by 9 million cars? U.S. junk mail accounts for 30% of total world mail, and a staggering 44% of it heads to landfills without even being opened.
Last year San Francisco became the first U.S. city to take political action against junk mail when the Board of Supervisors passed a resolution sponsored by District Five Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi calling on California to create a Do Not Mail Registry (similar to the National Do Not Call List). Like this idea? Join more than 110,000 Americans who have signed ForestEthics’ petition to show our government and the direct mail industry that you want a national registry to give us an easy and comprehensive way to opt out of junk mail.
The Paperless Please campaign has taken things a step further by creating a universal paperless mail solution for all citizens, government agencies, companies, and nonprofit organizations in the United States. Paperless Please aims to reduce the emissions, waste, and environmental impact associated with sending and receiving paper mail. The campaign also allows you to request paperless mail delivery from many of the largest mail senders in the United States.
Paperless Please is inspired and powered by Zumbox, the first paperless postal system. Zumbox enables businesses, nonprofits and government to send mail as digital files instead of paper, thereby reducing mailing costs and substantially shrinking their environmental impact. To start receiving paper-free versions of the mail you actually DO want, claim your Zumbox or join Paperless Please directly.
