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Grassroots Creativity
While the Center is promoting ways for individuals, governments and businesses to each do their parts to decrease Junk mail, thousands of people across the continent are taking action in their own homes and communities to prod AOL and other Junk mailers to shift to less wasteful and invasive marketing practices.
The Center doesn't necessarily endorse the following actions, but we do hope they give you a chuckle... and maybe even an inspiration!
Read examples of what people are doing:
out in their communities
from the comfort of their living rooms
Out in their communities...
Why Order from Victoria's Secret When You Can Just Wear the Catalog?
A dozen citizens of Takoma Park, Maryland (the Center's home town) marched in the city's annual Independence Day Parade. The marchers are dressing as 'Everyday Eco-Heroes,' each representing one action from Turn the Tide: Nine Actions for the Planet. At least one person will don a Junk mail-covered costume and give advice on the programs fourth action, Declare Your Independence from Junk mail.
Junk mail Doesn't Just Grow on Trees You Know, or Does It?
The Minneapolis-based Alliance for Sustainability is leading individuals, schools, service clubs, businesses, nonprofits, government agencies and religious institutions in constructing Junk mail Trees. Participants collect Junk mail, construct "trees" out of them to display at venues such as the Mall of America, and arrange educational presentations with local organizations. Visitors to the display learn about waste reduction and how to get off Junk mail lists. After the public display, the trees will be recycled by All-Paper Recycling into "Junk mail wood" tables and construction materials for Habitat for Humanity houses. The Junk mail Tree Project serves as a model for communities to stop Junk mail waste and learn how they can take steps to sustainability.
That's One Big Junk mail Drawer
Three Californian activists have started in effort called No More AOL CDs! and are collecting AOL metal mail from family, friends and pretty much anyone else who wants to send it their way. They've already collected 193,000 AOL CDs and are shooting for a million!
And this Patriotic Party Won't Pollute Boston Harbor
A group of DC-area activists are planning to bike from Ballston, Virginia to AOL's headquarters in Reston and dump the company's Junk mail onto the company's driveway (and ask AOL to reuse the CDs in a less annoying and inefficient manner). In the true spirit of our founding fathers, they're calling it the Ballston CD Party!
From the comfort of their living rooms...
Leveling the Playing Field
Dick and Jeanne Roy of the Northwest Earth Institute were featured in the PBS documentary Affluenza stuffing unsolicited bulk mail into the enclosed Business Reply Envelope and returning it to the sender to deal with disposal... and the postage costs.
For the Unscrupulous Activists
Don Oldenburg, The Washington Post's Consummate Consumer, reported on one person who utilized pre-printed stickers that say "RETURN TO SENDER! STOP MASS MARKETING!" and another (unmarried) citizen who might have gone a little over the top in sending back a response card stating "My beloved wife died last year, and every time I get some piece of Junk mail addressed to her, it just tears me up inside... please, if you have any heart at all, leave us in peace!".... but, then again, it worked like a charm.
Our Litigious Society Had to be Good for Something
The online Wall Street Journal carried an article in 1996 about one Robert Beken, who paid for an item at a Computer City store in San Diego by check. Since his address was entered in their computer, he wrote the following text on the back of the check: "Computer City agrees NOT to place Robert Beken on any mailing list or send him any advertisements or mailings. Computer City agrees that breach of this agreement by Computer City will damage Robert Beken and that these damages may be pursued in court. Further, that these damages for the first breach are $1,000. The deposit of this check for payment is agreement with these terms and conditions." After having received several fliers from the chain later, he complained to the company, didn't receive a response and sued in small claims court for damages of $5000. Judge J.V. Varon awarded him $1000 plus $21 in court costs. His decision contains the sentence "The attempt to protect one's privacy can hardly be viewed as unreasonable."
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