'Gift' your junk mail
Don't 'Return to Sender': Mail carriers are saving you money
You open your mailbox and hope you get something good. Instead, it’s a pile of junk mail. Why companies keep adding you to their mailing lists and ignoring “Return to Sender” requests is anybody’s guess. But there’s a better way to utilize all that extra paper from unsolicited junk mail and even solicited packages that went way overboard on the packaging needs. Both options are the gift that keeps on giving — literally.
According to the University of Southern Indiana, the amount of discarded wood and paper within a year’s time can heat 50 million homes for 20 years. Approximately 1 billion trees worth of paper are thrown away each year in the U.S., and Americans use 85 million tons of paper annually (about 680 pounds per person). It probably wouldn’t be so bad if it was actually needed.
ADVERTISEMENT ~ Amazon
As an Amazon affiliate, I earn a percentage from purchases with my referral links. I know some consumers are choosing to boycott Amazon for its DEI removal. However, after thinking about this thoroughly, I want to continue promoting cool products from small businesses, women-owned businesses and (specifically) Black-owned businesses who still feature their items on Amazon. As of the first date of Black History Month 2025, each new post will ALWAYS include a MINIMUM of one product sold by a Black-owned business. (I have visited the seller’s official site to verify that Amazon Black-owned logo.) I am (slowly) doing this with older, popular posts too. If you still choose to boycott, I 100% respect that decision.
But for far too often, we cannot figure out what to do with paper once its initial use is no longer an option.