This post was written by Hurst Rethink member Wendy Libby. In it she shares what she has done to reduce the amount of junk mail she receives.
“One thing that always irritates me is the amount of junk mail and leaflets I get every day; they go straight into a bin for recycling right by the front door.
On catalogues, I used to scribble “Unsolicited mail – GDPR – remove from mailing list” and put the offending item back in the post box. So far this has worked surprisingly well but I’ve now discovered some other options”:
- Mail sent from direct mailing lists can be stopped by registering with the Mail Preference Service at https://www.mpsonline.org.uk/. It is now possible to register for mail addressed to an individual; it no longer has to be for all occupants of the address as it used to be. It may take up to four months to be fully effective.
- Unaddressed mail – Royal Mail runs a free service which will stop all unaddressed mail items being delivered by their postmen – https://personal.help.royalmail.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/293. You need to print, fill out and mail the form (Freepost). Royal Mail do not send out confirmation and you will need to re-register every two years (they don’t send you a reminder, so keep track of it).
- Unsolicited communications from charities can be managed at https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/fundraising-preference-service/public. You can stop mail from up to three charities at a time. To do more, simply complete another online form.
- Other direct marketing mail can be stopped by emailing the Data & Marketing Association UK (DMA) on yourchoice@dma.org.uk and asking for details of the ‘Your Choice’ Preference Service for Unaddressed Mail. Registration with Your Choice will last for two years, after which you will need to re-register with the service.
Whenever you have to supply your address, such as when you order something online, make sure you opt out of future communications if you don’t want them. Under GDPR, companies are supposed to ask you to tick a box to opt in, but many don’t do this and ask you to tick a box to opt out, so read carefully!
We hope these tips help you reduce the amount of mail you receive – let us know if they work.