I respond to new solicitation by telling them that I do not respond to phone solicitation (my mom does the “I’ll boycott you and tell three friends to boycott you” method). If it is something that I do have an ongoing relationshp with, I write or email to put me on the do not call list. Legitimate charities should maintain a do not call list of their donors.

There is some evidence that shredded paper can be fed to worms – or even unshredded – but I’d be leery of using those worm castings in the garden, since the castings or tea can contain the same toxins as the “raw” material.

Burning the paper with the toxic inks and other chemicals could concentrate the toxins in the ash, release them into the air in particulate form, or worse yet, potentially transform them into something even more problematic.

We have two land line telephones. One for personal calls and one for commercial calls. The personal number is shared only with family and friends. The commercial number is provided to physicians, service people, beauty shops/spas, dentists, etc.. The commercial line has a limited outgoing contract, unlimited call receipts. Both lines are connected to an answering machine. The land line is turned off/deferred to answering machine before dinner each evening. No meal time or bed time interruptions.

Unsolicited mail will continue for as long as the consumer allows. As it were, current federal FTC legislation allows the mail to be delivered unless and until the consumer asks to have the mail stopped. Long ago we had a fist full of fluorescent address labels printed with the “PLEASE REMOVE THIS NAME/ADRESS FROM YOUR MAIL/DISTRIBUTION LIST.”

When a particular piece of unsolicited mail was received, the label was pasted on to the address portion of the mail, then returned either in the self addressed/stamped envelope sent along with the mail or in an envelope we addressed and stamped ourselves.

Yes, there were time/costs involved, i.e. stamp, envelope, and time taken to address the envelope. However, after 6 months or so our unsolicited mail receipts have been reduced 99.9%. We save time (no more sorting through, shredding, etc.) and most certainly, i our own small way, save valuable resources, i.e. trees and water required for the manufacture of paper, time required for shipping, transporting, and posting that unsolicited mail.

And most definitely, per FTC regs, ignoring, returning mail, etc., will not stop the flow ….

As for those unsolicited credit card applications, these are identity theft train wrecks waiting to happen, i.e. application sits in your mail box, mail is stolen, application address changed, card sent to stranger who immediately begins charging purchases to your credit card. Huge bills result, none of which ypu are aware of (statements now sent to new address), defaults occur, your credit record is compromised, etc..

To stop those unsolicited credit card applications, it is necessary to contact the three credit reporting agencies and ask that your name and number be removed from cardit card offers, etc.. Again unless and until you ask directly, take a pro-active position on unsolicited telephone calls, mail, and credit card applications, nothing will change, you will continue to answer the telephone for nuisance calls, continue to receive garbage mails receipts, and continue to receive those unsolicited credit card applications and promotions ….

Also: paper recycling generates significant amounts of toxic sludge from the de-inking process, which itself uses some pretty nasty chemicals. I’m all about recycling, but sometimes the process is worse than not doing it at all. I’d rather see waste paper used as fuel in co-generation or something.

Catalog choice is a free service that lets you communicate your mail preferences to companies. Reduce the amount of unsolicited mail in your mailbox and go paperless.

I don’t get many repeat calls–I tell whoever calls that I boycott any business that calls me for a year, and that I get seven other friends to do the same, and that we circulate a list of “obnoxious” businesses. I rarely get callbacks. I handle charitable calls by asking them politely to send me literature in the mail — for next year, as they have lost my donation this year because they called me at home.

The reason I don’t like these calls–I never know when someone is calling if it is 1) my sister, whose schedule is so strange and who is so hard to reach that I always take her calls, 2) a student (which is why, even if I had caller ID, I couldn’t ignore an unknown phone number, or 3) another family member who lives in a remote location and calls when she gets into town and can use her friend’s phone; the lines don’t go out to her place and the cell service doesn’t reach her house. If I am busy working, the needless call interrupts my focus and it takes me a while to get it back. If I am working with hot glass, I could lose the piece I am working on. (In that case I usually let the answering machine take it and call the person right back–but again, lost focus.)

Computerized calls can be fun if I am in the right mood. I have read pages of historiography or recent work on exempla to the machine until it finally gives up. Funny how after two times doing that I don’t hear from that marketer again.

If you are vigilant about it, you will eventually stop the cycle.

And of course, the more people who sign up, the more likely other catalogs will be forced to recognize our mailing preferences.

I take my junk mail, bring it to the computer, and in 5-10 minutes each week, I’ve removed myself. We’ve confirmed 39 mailings which we no longer see.